What pressure? Luphahla rallies troops ahead of TelOne clash

FC Platinum coach, Joel Luphahla, is unfazed by his side’s indifferent start to the season and is not feeling the weight of pressure ahead of the Midlands derby against TelOne at Mandava stadium today.

Calm in his assessment and composed in his message, he cuts the figure of a man determined to let performance, not panic, set the tone for his tenure.

Luphahla has endured a lacklustre start to his tenure at the Zvishavane outfit, garnering four points from a possible nine. The numbers are hardly disastrous, but they carry a hint of frustration — enough to sharpen focus without inviting frenzy — and they frame today’s encounter as the first real chance to turn steady footing into forward momentum.

His side hosts an equally troubled TelOne side that has only one point to their name this campaign. Two teams with stuttering beginnings is a recipe for urgency; the air around Mandava is likely to be charged, not just with rivalry, but with the mutual understanding that form can be rewritten in ninety hard minutes.

The former Zimbabwe International reckons that the poor start to the season by both sides adds a spark to the encounter.

“This is a game that is likely to be an open game,” said the former Warriors forward. In that simple prediction is a promise of risk and reward, of a contest that might ebb and flow with chances rather than caution.

“TelOne are a good side, and I have a lot of respect for Herbert Maruwa; playing his team is never easy. It makes it even more difficult in that they haven’t had a good start, so we will both be desperate for a win.”

The nod to his opposite number is more than politeness; it is recognition that desperation, when matched on both benches, can turn small margins into decisive moments.

“Personally, I’m not worried about how we have started, it is not a good start, yes, but I trust the quality I have in my team, and I’m very confident once we strike the right chords, the quality will begin to show.”

That faith in the dressing room reads as both shield and spur — a public backing for his players and a challenge to meet the level he believes is within reach.

In his post-match comments after the goalless draw against FC Hunters on Wednesday, Luphahla expressed how difficult it has been to fill in the shoes left by Norman Mapeza. The shadow of a successful predecessor often lengthens in early weeks, but it can also concentrate the mind; history becomes a standard rather than a burden when a coach chooses to meet it head on.

However, the former Simba Bhora coach believes the only way he can steady the ship is by striking some consistency.

“I have to admit, we have not had a perfect start, as a coach, I also have standards that I have set, but to achieve those standards and restore the pride of this club, we have to start winning and doing it consistently,” he added.

Consistency, in his framing, is not a buzzword; it is the bridge between promise and proof.
The last time the two sides met, the Wifi boys emerged victorious, edging FC Platinum 1-0. That memory will travel with TelOne today, a quiet confidence tucked into their kit bags, and a reminder for the hosts that pedigree guarantees nothing on its own.

TelOne coach Hebert Maruwa is hoping for more of the same this time around, but acknowledges his charges need to be psychologically prepared for the battle.

“Of late, we have been playing better away from home. The last time we went there, we beat them 1-0, so we need to work hard, prepare ourselves mentally so that we get three points,” noted Maruwa.

In a derby shaped by early-season jitters, the sharper edge may belong to the side that wins the mental duels as much as the tactical ones.