There is room for improvement for Platinum boys: Shaya

Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Sports Reporter

LEGENDARY five-time Soccer Star of the Year George Shaya believes FC Platinum will put up a better performance in this year’s Caf Champions League group stages.

While the Zvishavane-based side still has to overcome one more hurdle before it storms into the lucrative and money spinning phase, Shaya said Norman Mapeza’s boys showed a character associated with winning teams.

Shaya was among the fans that cheered Pure Platinum Play at Barbourfields Stadium on Saturday when they bundled visiting Nyasa Big Bullets of Malawi out of the tournament, playing with 10 men for more than an hour after Cameroonian Albert Eonde was red-carded for a crude tackle on Bullets’ Precious Sambani.

FC Platinum seemed all but out when Patrick Phiri struck the equaliser in the 73rd minute, bringing the two sides level on 2-2, meaning the visitors would have gone through 4-2 on aggregate after the two team had played to a 0-0 stalemate in Blantyre in the first-leg. Twice FC Platinum led and twice Bullets, coached by former Warriors’ coach, Callisto Pasuwa, had equalised.

But a masterstroke tactical substitution by Mapeza in which he took out the unusually ineffective Devon Chafa, who had a bad day in office in the middle of the park and replaced him with forward Perfect Chikwende 12 minutes before full time, proved to be the antidote needed. Chikwende propelled the home team ahead with a third goal two minutes after his introduction. “Their fighting spirit; that never-say-die attitude by Mapeza’s boys impressed me so much and I am confident with that approach. They can do well this time around,” said Shaya.

“They conceded, yes, but I am sure those mistakes can be rectified. What is key and what was impressive was their comeback spirit. In football it’s never over until the referee says so and FC Platinum proved just that, hence my conviction that once they are in the group stages, they will do well this time around,” said Shaya, who was Dynamos chairman when they reached the Caf Champions League final in 1998.

FC Platinum take on first round surprise package UD Songo, who stunned Simba Stars of Tanzania 2-1 on aggregate in the preliminary round.