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Blessing Malinganiza
Sports Reporter
FC Platinum head coach Norman Mapeza is optimistic about reaching the last eight in the prestigious Chibuku Super Cup when they host TelOne at Mandava on Saturday.
Platinum will be looking to add another Chibuku Super Cup trophy this season after winning it in 2021.
Mapeza believes TelOne are a quality side but they have done their homework to pass through them.
Platinum are currently on the summit of the league log standings and would want to translate their fine run in the cup games.
“So far so good, we can’t complain we had an advantage as we managed to watch them play in the preliminary round and they are a quality side.
“They (TelOne) are motivated by their victory against Yadah in the league so it won’t be an easy game,” said Mapeza.
“We are taking this Chibuku Super Cup seriously as a club and it’s an opportunity for us. You don’t know what happens at the end of the season but if we do well in this cup maybe we will also continue doing well in the league,” he said.
Mapeza said it’s important to maximise home advantage to get a result favouring them.
“We have to maximise our home advantage on this game, coming here they would want to also progress in the last eight. So it has much to do with home advantage.
“If you look at how the draw was conducted all the top eight teams are playing at home but it’s advantageous to us but it’s a game where anything can happen.
“Unlike a league game where you can plan to go and get a point, in cup games you go for everything in the 90 minutes.
“We have to work on everything and do the normal training, after that we do penalties. The cup rules are clear on that,” he said.
Bongani Ndlovu
Online Reporter