Online Reporter
Eddie Chikamhi
Zimpapers Sports Hub
DEFENDER Mbongeni Ndlovu believes FC Platinum will emerge from their pre-season tour of Zambia a stronger football family and more focused on their quest to challenge for honours in the Castle Lager Premiership.
Ndlovu, who is one of the experienced players at the side, was given the thumbs up by new coach Joel Luphahla to retain the captain’s armband.
FC Platinum this season have a new outlook after announced 11 new signings recently.
Speaking from Lusaka, where they have been camped for the past two weeks, the 27-year-old defender said the team was gelling well.
“The new players are adapting very well to the team, since the coaches are trying to create a family. The coaches emphasised us to become a family so that we win the games.
“We’re bonding here in Zambia for creating a better family, understanding each other so that when we go back home, we will know each other’s weaknesses, each other’s strengths, and we push each other in the league,” said Ndlovu.
FC Platinum coach Luphahla emphasised Ndlovu’s role of leading the team on and off the pitch. Previously the platinum miners have rotated captains.
“We won’t be changing the captain because Mbongeni is a leader on and off the pitch. What we did was add three more guys to help him.
“In this team, we want to have a situation whereby each and every player has that feeling of being a leader but the captain stays. We are happy,” said Luphahla.
FC Platinum recently parted ways with more than half dozen players but the core that include the likes of Jarrison Selemani, Mbongeni Ndlovu, Hagiazo Magaya and Oscar Bhebhe was retained.
They added 11 new signings headlined by ex-Highlanders midfielder Mckinnon Mushore. They also signed highly-rated midfielder Garikai Dematsika from relegated GreenFuel, former Yadah defender Takunda Vareta, Trevor Bhunu from Golden Eagles, last season’s Central Region Soccer
League Golden Boot winner David Mangesi, promising talents Tadiwa Muchenje and Takunda Manyuchi.
The Zvishavane side also spread their net beyond the borders when they signed former Namibian Golden Boot winner Mbakondja Tjahikika, Ghanaian Emmanuel Dogbey, Malawian defender Maxwell Paipi, and Cameroonian goalkeeper Manfred Ekoi.
They have tested their team in two friendly games against Napsa Stars and Zanaco in Zambia. They lost 1-3 to Zanaco on Saturday and Luphaha believes the loss was key to their preparations.
“I’m pleased with the performance of the boys because we came here for pre-season to prepare and I think at times it’s very important that apart from your performance it’s very important that you correct or you work on your weaknesses,” said Luphahla.
“Imagine if we had come here and won, we were maybe going to be complacent instead of working on our weaknesses and we think that, you know, we have arrived.
“But this is our second friendly match that we have played and you can see there’s progression from the first game that we played, which was Napsa.
“We expected this to happen because if you look at the goals that we conceded, apart from the first goal, I think it was a miscalculation from our defenders. The other goals, we gave them away because of tiredness.”
With the league now five weeks away from kickoff, Luphahla believes he has ample time to work on his team.
“You saw we put two teams in one place, the first 45 minutes, the second 45 minutes, because we are trying to make sure that we balance the team playing together.
“And I know that in the end, when we merge that team, we are going to come up with a stronger team. I’m very grateful and happy that the club management managed to bring us outside the country because the main reason is to bond, to bring the team together.
“Remember, we have brought in a lot of players, so we need to try and make sure that when we leave here, we are leaving with a complete team that is bonded.
“So that’s the whole idea of us coming here,” said Luphahla.
