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Paul Mundandi Zvishavane Correspondent
LLOYD “Samaita” Mutasa the FC Platinum coach has promised fireworks in the Zvishavane derby to avenge the two defeats the platinum miners have suffered at the hands of Shabanie Mine.Forget the El Classicco pitting Real Madrid and Barcelona, the South African derby between Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs and think of the 116 000 people Zvishavane who are eagerly waiting to hear the winner between the two fiercest rivals in Zimbabwean soccer who will clash in the Zvishavane derby Part Three.
“We lost our first league match to Shabanie Mine who beat us 1-0 and again they repeated the same feat when they beat us in the BancABC Sup8r Cup and this time I want our fans to rejoice.
“We are not going to allow them to beat us for the third time and I am just saying enough is enough. We are going to give them a good game and we want to make our fans happy,“ said the soft-spoken coach.
Mutasa has slowly transformed FC Platinum into a championship chasing side and has managed to bring unity in the club. Yesterday he spent a lot of time talking to Donald Ngoma, Charles Sibanda and Welcome Ndiweni and by the look of the things, Mutasa is likely to bank on the trio.
Ngoma has since 2011 troubled Shabanie Mine and it was only this year that he did not score. FC Platinum new signing Marshall Mudehwe might also be thrown onto the fray after giving Triangle defenders a torrid time last Sunday although the Zvishavane- based team lost the match.
Mutasa however would love to reduce the gap between his team and Highlanders to just two points and hope that Dynamos and Bosso will share the spoils on Sunday with Harare City losing.
“I have been saying that the destiny of the league is not in our hands and all we want as a club is to collect points and then see where we are going to be when the season ends. Mathematically we have a chance to win the league and I am just hoping that other teams will falter.
“I am urging our fans to come in their numbers and give us maximum support like what they have been doing throughout the season. I know that Luke (Masomere) is itching for a win but I just want to advise him that the clash on Saturday is going to be very tough,” he added.
Shabanie is the only small town with two Premier League teams and a decent stadium in Zimbabwe and there has been Premiership action since 2001.
Of the two teams FC Platinum have better funding while Shabanie are struggling. Platinum call themselves Kugona Kunenge Kudada a name that clearly mocks their neighbours who are always struggling with finances because Shabanie Mine is not operating at full capacity.
The two teams are fierce rivals on the pitch and they share fans in the town with Shabanie having a bigger chunk of the cake and the rivalry is so fierce that the fans do not share drinking spots despite the intervention of club presidents George Mawere and Greg Mataka
Luke Masomere who was banned for his dealings in the Asiagate scandal is back after his sentence was commuted to a $1 500 fine by the Zifa Special Appeals Committee and saw his comeback attracting a huge turnout of fans.
Shabanie Mine who gained promotion in 2001 only managed to break the FC Platinum dominance this season and on Saturday they troop to Mandava hoping to repeat another feat they had failed to achieve since 2011. There are a number of myths that happens in the mining town when the two teams are playing.
For the past three seasons on the day of the derby it has rained and this even happened this season when the two sides clashed and it still remains to be seen if will rain again on Saturday.
Since 2011 a lot has also been happening with a death recorded each year just two weeks before the clash. It happened in 2012 when a groundsman was struck by lightning in broad day light at Mandava.
This year when both teams qualified for the BancABC final and with the match pencilled for Mandava another death was recorded again. Juju stories are also the order of the day but such are characteristic of a derby in the mining town.
Shabanie Mine fans do not patronise the FC Platinum Lounge before the match and they only go there if their team has won just to mock them and if Shabanie loses they go to Downtown or Red Parrot, the two drinking outlets they have boldly declared to be their own since the owners support Shabanie.
In 2012 FC Platinum were held by a 10-man Shabanie at Mandava. Charles Sibanda scored a brace before Nelson Maziwisa beat Tafadzwa Dube twice to earn his former side (Shabanie) a share of the spoils.
In the reverse fixture the teams drew nil all at Maglas. In their first meeting in 2011 at Maglas, Donald Ngoma was the hero as he scored a brace with Charles Sibanda grabbing the other one in their 3-1 victory.
Menard Mupera then ensured his team maximum points when he converted a controversial penalty awarded by Ruzive Ruzive after Donald Ngoma fell in the box seemingly under no challenge. It was that goal that created a rift between the two clubs as Shabanie Mine fans alleged money had changed hands as has been with the team that is accused of buying success by rivals Shabanie and champions Dynamos. It has been two years now since the incident and there is a big fight on Saturday.
Maziwisa is the leading scorer at platinum with seven goals to his credit. Ali Sadiki for the second time this year is going to miss the Zvishavane derby. FC Platinum are lethal upfront and the combination of Maziwisa, Sibanda, Mudehwe and Ngoma has proved too hot to contain.
Add to the team the Moyo twins Elvis and Kelvin who partner Daniel Vheremu, the Zambian Aaron Katebe, Thabani Kamusoko and the roving Winston Mhango then you have a fired up squad.
Last week the ‘Doctor of Football’ found himself subjected to boos after a poor showing.
“Masomere is our coach. We were pained to draw with a small team like Monomotapa and everyone was angry. We are looking at him to guide us on Saturday and I would love to see Platinum fall.
“We are rallying behind him and I will be happy if he guides the team to the top eight so that we defend our cup next season. All what happened on Sunday is now water under the bridge and I am urging fans to come in numbers because we want to beat our rivals who hate us with passion and show them that we are the kings,” said Gondwe.
Online Reporter