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Ishemunyoro Chingwere
ON two occasions FC Platinum have come close to clinching the Premier Soccer League title. On two occasions they have choked at the 11th hour.
As second-placed Pure Platinum Play brace for a crunch encounter against Highlanders at Mandava this afternoon, the dream killing ghost lingers over Norman Mapeza’s men who need a straight win against Bosso to keep their hopes alive.
A win, coupled with log leaders Caps United dropping points against Ngezi, could see Mapeza and his men coming closer to exorcising the ghost.
Having led the standings for large parts of the current campaign, Mapeza’s men go into match day 29 trailing Caps United by two points, and the hope at Mandava is that Makepekepe falter against Ngezi at the National Sports Stadium this afternoon while they do the job against Bosso.
Such an outcome will be wind in the miners’ sails going into next weekend’s final day.
But as they look at the permutations, the Kugona Kunenge Kudada faithful will be wondering how destiny was wrestled from their hands.
For a good part of the season, Mapeza’s men appeared to be headed for their debut title only to get it all wrong in weeks 26 and 27 when they dropped five points and allowed Lloyd Chitembwe’s Caps United to take the lead.
First they lost 1-2 to Moses Chunga’s Harare City as Lloyd Chitembwe’s Caps United won 3-1 at relegated Border Strikers.
Then they failed to capitalise on Caps United’s draw with Dynamos as they were also held at home by PSL debutants Ngezi Platinum Stars.
The result was FC Platinum surrendered top position on the log standings and Caps United opened a two-point they still enjoy today.
The tragic part is that this is a path Pure Platinum Play and their fans are all too familiar with.
In 2011 they looked set to wrap up the coveted league crown in their debut season and in week 19 they led eventual winners Dynamos by a commanding 12 points.
But as fate would have it, DeMbare – under the mentorship of Kallisto Pasuwa in his first job as a top flight head coach – mounted an audacious challenge and pipped Platinum to the title.
In that 11-match run-up, and with 33 points at stake, Platinum only managed 19 points and dropped 14.
They again grabbed defeat from the jaws of victory last season when, locked in a three-horse race with Chicken Inn and Dynamos, they managed just one win in five of their last fixtures as they faltered at the death.
Mapeza, for his part, has opted to concentrate on the positives.
He says the fact that his men were close to the title last season and are close again this season is a measure of how good they are.
“It (losing at the wire) is all part of the beautiful game,” Mapeza said. “The fact that we were nearer to winning the championship last year and we are again competing for the title this year shows our consistency,” said an optimistic Mapeza.
The miners’ record in week 29 and 30 doesn’t inspire confidence as in five years they have only won the season’s last two matches once – in 2014.
With Highlanders and Tsholotsho as their last two matches, it remains to be seen if the Ghosts of Platinum Past will return to haunt them.
FC Platinum record in Week 29 and 30 since 2011
2011
Week 29: FC Platinum 0-1 Dynamos
Week 30: Shooting Stars 1-3 FC Platinum
2012
Week 29, Highlanders 1-0 FC Platinum
Week 30, FC Platinum 2-4 Black Mambas
2013
Week 29, How Mine 1-1 FC Platinum
Week 30, FC Platinum 2-2 Buffaloes
2014
Week 29, Hwange 0-1 FC Platinum
Week 30, FC Platinum 3-0 Chiredzi
2015
Week 29, FC Platinum 1-1 Caps United
Week 30, Dongo Sawmills 1-1 FC Platinum
Online Reporter