adminEddie Chikamhi
Senior Sports Reporter
FC PLATINUM are set to return to their Mandava fortress this weekend with a league and cup double now in sight as they are officially 14 points away from a fourth Castle Lager Premiership football title.
They could need less to achieve a dream fourth league title depending on how their competitors will fare in the homestretch.
The platinum miners host relegation fighters Bulawayo City in a league game at Mandava this Saturday, just a week after enhancing their chances of retaining the Chibuku Super Cup with a quarter-final victory over Dynamos last Sunday.
The platinum miners are now hot favourites in the last four that also features Herentals, Bulawayo Chiefs and Black Rhinos. FC Platinum have previously won the cup twice, including the last edition, while none of the other semi-finalists have won it before.
But the focus this weekend shifts to the league marathon, where Norman Mapeza and his men have drifted eight points away from the competition, with just seven rounds of play remaining.
They welcome struggling Bulawayo City at Mandava where they hold the aces going into the duel. The platinum miners have done extremely well at home this season.
They have played 13 games at home and won 10, drew twice and lost once. Their only loss at Mandava came at the hands of rivals Ngezi Platinum Stars, who triumphed 1-0.
The only other teams to get a point at Mandava so far this year are giants Dynamos, who forced a goalless draw and Black Rhinos in their 1-1 stalemate.
The Zvishavane miners, who have won almost all the major football titles in the last few years, are gunning for the defence of the league title on the back of another dominant season.
Despite starting off slowly after streamlining their team at the beginning of the year, the platinum miners have since found their mojo and are unbeaten in almost five months.
Their last defeat to Herentals at the National Sports Stadium came on May 30. They are riding on a proud unbeaten run of 16 games in all competitions.
This week they are likely to welcome back Innocent Mucheneka and Nigel Makumbe to boost their options at this key stage of the race. The duo recently started training with the squad after suffering injury setbacks that kept them out for some time.
Bulawayo City have lost five of their last six matches and are deep in the clutches of relegation.
FC Platinum have won the last three domestic league titles in succession. Mapeza, who has been given the long rope by the team management to mould a formidable side in the last decade, helped FC Platinum break their duck in 2017.
He repeated the feat in 2018 and then led the team for most of the campaign in 2019 before leaving for South Africa for a brief stint. The team still managed to cross the line without him.
The platinum miners have dominated the scene while the traditional Big Three, who include Highlanders, Dynamos and CAPS United, have been relegated to perennial also-rans.
FC Platinum currently lead the race with 58 points from 27 games. Dynamos, although unbeaten in their last seven league games, have been struggling to close in.
The Glamour Boys have a tricky home game against Ngezi Platinum Stars at the National Sports Stadium on Sunday. Chicken Inn, who are third in the race, will also be at home against basement side Whawha at Luveve on Saturday.
As it stands, FC Platinum officially need 14 points to win the title, given Dynamos, who are their closest rivals, win all their remaining seven games. This could land the Glamour Boys on 71 points.
But it is unlikely that DeMbare would be able to do so, given their inconsistencies In that case, FC Platinum, who currently have a tally of 58 points, may have their task made easier.
The battle for survival is also getting tense at the bottom, where three of the teams that were promoted this season are facing the chop. Whawha have been the worst of the lot and they would be feeling the pressure when they visit Luveve on Saturday.
Tenax have a date with Harare City at Sakubva on Saturday. Harare City are also in the relegation matrix, as they sit fourth from the bottom of the table and are four points away from safety.
Giants CAPS United clash with Yadah as they continue with their battle to recover from on and off the pitch woes that have seen them playing in the bottom half for most of the season.
Fixtures
Saturday: ZPC Kariba v Black Rhinos (Nyamhunga, 1pm), Cranborne Bullets v Highlanders (Vengere), FC Platinum v Bulawayo City (Mandava), Yadah v CAPS Utd ((NSS), Chicken Inn v Whawha (Luveve), Tenax v Harare City (Sakubva)
Sunday: Dynamos v Ngezi Platinum Stars (NSS), Bulawayo Chiefs v Manica Diamonds (Luveve), Triangle v Herentals (Gibbo)
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