admin
Tadious Manyepo
Sports Reporter
SILAS SONGANI could next week rejoin his FC Platinum teammates, who will start group training for the first time since March, in Zvishavane today.
The Zimbabwe international forward has impressed, during his trial stint at Sudanese giants Al Hilal, but has not been signed yet by the club.
Latest reports indicate the Sudanese were proposing that he waits for the current season to end before joining them ahead of the new campaign.
The FC Platinum leadership, however, are opposed to that arrangement and are pushing for their most valuable asset to return home.
Songani joined the Zvishavane club, on a two-year contract earlier this year, and has played for them once, in the Castle Super Cup final against Highlanders, with his brace sinking the Bulawayo giants.
FC Platinum players yesterday converged at their Mandava home for Covid-19 tests, in preparation for group training, which starts this morning.
The club were on Wednesday given a waiver, to start training, but under strict Covid-19 health guidelines, including regular disinfection of the facilities they are using.
Coach Hendrikus Pieter De Jongh said his men were ready to resume preparations for their Champions League assignments.
“The players are already in Zvishavane and, as I speak, they are being tested,’’ the Dutchman said.
“All the players have reported back at work, save for striker Silas Ngala, who is with the national team.
“Even more good news is that Silas Songani will be coming back to join us here.
“Like I said, early in the week, I was not looking to get a replacement for Songani because I knew he was coming back.
“He has the European experience and being part of the squad will handy in our quest to do well in the CAF Champions League.
“We are starting training tomorrow (today) and that’s when I will be able to say what exactly we need to do.
“We will go for fitness drills and see who needs what attention as we go.
“We will have to load the players a lot, at the same time trying to give them recovery time, for they were on a long break.
“It’s a difficult period that we find ourselves in so we have to be very cautious. I am a bit relieved because, at least, I have my players back.”
Club spokesperson, Chido Chizondo, said the administration were seized with putting in place the health conditions spelt out in their resumption plan by the authorities.
“We have done the testing and we will sit down as a club and make sure that we implement everything recommended by the authorities for safety’s sake,” she said.
Online Reporter