Platinum crush Mamba

International Stadium yesterday to power FC Platinum to a fairytale start to life in the Champions League.
The gangly forward was the toast of an FC Platinum side that played with authority, going forward, and should have scored, at least half-a-dozen goals in a game in which they imposed their technical superiority for long periods.
But the Zimbabweans were as poor defensively as they were brilliant offensively and coach Rahman Gumbo, who gave his side a seven-out-of-10 for their show, conceded they have a lot of work to do in their rearguard if they are to make a big impression in the tournament.
The two goals that FC Platinum conceded were a result of some dreadful defending but, given that this was the first competitive match for their vastly-changed four-man defensive wall, they can be given the benefit of doubt that they will get better with time.
New signing Quard Amini was the first to blunder, giving the hosts a lifeline just after the hour mark when they were trailing 0-3, toying with the ball and losing possession and watching as the Green Mamba poured forward and released Welile Masuku who fired past an exposed Tafadzwa Dube from a suspiciously offside position.
And, right on the 90th mark, with FC Platinum leading 4-1, the defence blundered terribly again by giving the ball away cheaply and substitute Mcebo Ndluli fired home powerfully into the far corner past Dube.
However, this wasn’t a day that will be remembered for all the wrong reasons for a bubbly FC Platinum side that imposed itself on the opposition from the start and kept finding the gaps to thread ball into the path of the dangerous Ngoma.
Backed by a sizeable contingent of Zimbabweans, FC Platinum went ahead as early as the 10th minute when a ball was swung in from the left and the impressive Ali Sadiki, making his debut, lay in ambush wide on the right flank of the blind side.
He controlled well and floated in a beauty that the diving Ngoma flicked with the back of his head, under pressure from a defender, to beat ‘keeper Njabuliso Simelane for his first goal at this level of the game.
It was due reward for an FC Platinum that had been patient and looked the better team, taking early control of the midfield and pushing the hosts into their half with Ngoma giving them all sorts of problems whenever he broke into his stride.
On a cool afternoon, where thunder clouds that hovered in the sky ensured that the heat that had dominated the build-up to the game disappeared, the Zimbabweans clearly revelled in the conditions and were full value for their handsome win.
Two minutes after the opener, the Zvishavane side should have doubled the lead when Sadiki’s trickery swept him past his marker, this time on the left, and he picked his man with a lovely cross but midfielder Allan Gahadzikwa, also making his debut, somehow just headed wide from close range.
The hosts were rocking but they soon regrouped and mounted their first serious attack down the right, with Daniel Veremu guilty of letting his man beat him easily, but ‘keeper Dube was on guard to make a crucial save.
However, the authority remained with FC Platinum and the second goal, which they had promised for a long time, duly arrived in the 28th minute when Ngoma shook off his marker, using his strength, and then fired hard and low, from a difficult angle, to squeeze the ball under the ‘keeper who should have done better.
A minute later, a brilliant sweeping move, involving almost half the FC Platinum team down the left channel, lured Green Mamba into confusion and, when the ball was cut across the box, Gahadzikwa coolly slid the ball home to make it 3-0, sending the Zimbabwean fans into delirium.
Moments later it should have been 4-0 when, after a lovely interchange of passes that again sent Green Mamba into a web of confusion, the ball was released to Joel Ngodzo to do the killing ceremony but the young midfielder, from a very good position, somehow powered his shot wide.
While FC Platinum were impressive in attack, there were worrying cracks in the defence and you always felt that the defensive midfield shield, which was supposed to be protecting Veremu and new acquisition Gilbert Banda, was not doing its job properly.
In the 33rd minute, the visitors were opened again and Dube had to make a good save.
Two minutes before the break, Veremu should have ended this game as a contest when he rose unchallenged to meet a dangerous ball, whipped in from a corner by Ali, but the big central defender headed wide.
The defensive concerns continued for FC Platinum and after Dube had made another good save, Gumbo pulled out Gahadzikwa and threw in Mitchelle Katsvairo, and on the hour mark, Ngoma powered a cracking shot goalwards but the ‘keeper saved well pushing the ball for a corner.
A minute later Amin gave the hosts a lifeline and Gumbo responded by pulling out Charles Sibanda, who had played well, and introducing another new signing Rowan Nenzou, with the instructions to the veteran midfielder to cool down the tempo of the game. Five minutes from time, Sadiki, just beaten by Ngoma for the man-of-the-match award, finally got his goal when his dribbling brilliance sent his marker into a spin down the right side as the winger cut into the area and, having created space for himself, fired past the ‘keeper.
Gumbo said while he was impressed with his team’s performance, considering it was their first competitive game together for most of his players, they needed to work on the defence.
“We have to work hard on our defence, I wasn’t quite happy with the defence because we conceded some soft goals,” said Gumbo.
“We still have a game to play, we need to finish them off at home. The substitutes did well for me because they did what I instructed them to do. Overally, I think it was a good performance by the boys. I will give them a seven out of 10 because most of them were playing together for the first time and, to score four goals, away from home, is a good show.
“We will get better.”
Green Mamba coach, Francis Banda, refused to throw in the towel.
“Football is unpredictable, they beat us here at home and we can as well beat them away from home, we now know their weaknesses,” said Banda.
“You can’t predict anything. Zambia are Africa’s champions now and who could have predicted that? Nothing is impossible.”
Zimbabwean coach, Lloyd Mutasa, sat on the Green Mamba technical bench but it was Banda who did all the shouting from the area.
Teams:
Green Mamba
N. Simelane, L. Mcuna,(S. Ncube 57th min) S. Shilubane, M. Ngwenya, S. Mdluli, N. Mthimukulu, S. Vilakazi. (M. Mamba 47th min) P. Ngwenya, M. Dlamini, W, Maseko, C. Matsebula (M. Ndluli 70th min)
FC Platinum
T. Dube, D. Veremu, Q. Amin, Z. Ngodzo, G. Banda, C. Kamhapa, A. Sadiki, J. Ngodzo,(W. Ndiweni 74th min) D. Ngoma, C. Sibanda,(R. Nenzou 68th min), A Gahadzikwa (Katsvairo 57th min).