Online Reporter
Onward Gangata
Zimpapers Sports Hub
FC Platinum coach, Joel Luphahla, has praised his side for showing resilience to shrug off the defensive frailties that dogged the team in the early stages of the Castle Lager Premiership season.
After a wobbly start to the campaign, in which they conceded 10 goals in the opening nine matches, the platinum miners are beginning to show maturity in how they defend.
They have now clocked 360 minutes without conceding a single goal and they have bagged eight points out of a possible 12.
This past week, the former champions edged Chicken Inn 1-0 to register back-to-back victories and move into the top half of the table.
FC Platinum are now in eighth place with 19 points. One player, who has been at the centre of the Zvishavane side’s revival, is goalkeeper, Raphael Pitisi.
The former TelOne and Highlanders goal minder reunited with Luphahla at the Zvishavane side early this year. They previously worked together at Bosso.
Pitisi has overtaken Cameroonian Manfred Ekoi as the first-choice for Pure Platinum Play and he was the hero last week when he saved a penalty against ZPC Kariba.
However, Luphahla refused to attribute the good defensive show to just one player, insisting it is a team effort.
“We cannot give credit to the goalkeeper alone, when you are defending it’s for the whole team from the strikers to the goalkeeper,” he said.
“But he (Pitisi) has been good, he made two pin-point saves against ZPC Kariba including a penalty.
“We have two of the best goalkeepers and when you get an opportunity you have to use it and he is using the opportunity.”
Despite the restoring normalcy in the defensive areas, the former Warriors winger is still concerned by the team’s attack.
“Against Chicken Inn, we managed to create a glut of chances that the boys missed.
“It’s an area we need to work on and make sure that when we go to the next game, which is again going to be difficult, we need to improve on our conversion.
“If we can manage to put these chances at the back of the net, it can bring confidence.”
The Zvishavane side travel to Harare to face in-form CAPS United on Africa Day at Rufaro.
