What’s going on at FC Platinum?

The richest club in the Premiership announced their entry into the Castle Lager League with a very loud bang in 2011 as they used their financial muscle to buy some of the best talent in Zimbabwe.

In their maiden season, FC Platinum raced neck-and-neck with Dynamos for the coveted league title, only to lose on goal difference.

That year, they made four changes to their technical department as they demoted Jairos Tapera to a ceremonial role while Benjamin Moyo tragically drowned in a swimming pool in Shurugwi.

Philani Mabhena held the fort briefly before Rahman Gumbo was brought from Botswana.
But Gumbo was given the boot last year as it dawned that FC Platinum had missed once again their target of winning the league championship.

Caretaker coach, Tendai Chikuni, came in and the club finished seventh.
This year the Zvishavane club hired former Zambian coach Chilumba but, just six months down the line, he is gone.

Sources in Zvishavane said all was not well at Kugona Kunenge Kudada.
“There is a crisis at the club right now. I think there had not been a proper hand-over-take over when the club president (Nathan) Shoko and chairman (Tadson) Zhou left at the end of last season,” said the sources.

George Mawere is the new club president while Dumisani Sisale is the chairman and Benson Virimayi has taken over from Phil Muwengwa as secretary for the club. The sources in Zvishavane yesterday pointed out that morale was low among some players who had been sidelined by the technical team.

“Players like Josta (Joel Ngodzo) and Dombo (Donald Ngoma) have not been used regularly and it’s the same with Allan Gahadzikwa who is not getting game time.

“Dombo wanted to move to Dynamos but his move was blocked while the general manager for commercial at the team, Tapiwanashe Shoko, was fired and Jairos Tapera is still being sidelined,” said the sources. Tapera led FC Platinum, then known as Mimosa, to the Central Region Division One championship before Moyo took over.

“Some people in the community feel that the new executive is failing to fit in the shoes of the old executive and they rarely come to the Platinum Lounge so that we interact and share ideas on the team.

“There is no longer that good rapport.
“It seems we no longer share the same goals of developing the youth academy because the executive wants to buy players.

“Now we are drifting apart and Chilumba actually was sidelining some players whom he believed were throwing away matches,” the sources said.

The sources also allege that FC Platinum were slowly sinking into an abyss of lawlessness.
“We used to have zero tolerance towards violence but the Harare City coach had urine poured all over him and during the game against Chicken Inn, the ball boys were withdrawn towards the end and this was not in the spirit of Fair Play,” the sources said.

However, FC Platinum spokesperson, Chido Chizondo, said the club was on track in fulfilling both its professional and sporting ambitions.

“All that is being peddled around is merely speculation and sometimes this happens when a coach leaves the club,” said Chizondo.

“But, as we stated in our press statement, the coach Chilumba had demands for his services by his country’s national team and that had placed an overdue burden on his work schedule and made it impossible to continuously balance between club and country.

“On the relations with the fans, it’s on the contrary because that has actually improved.
“This can be seen by the increase in fan base and the number of people who are coming for FC Platinum matches to the stadium.

“So the support base is growing.”
Chizondo also refuted claims that FC Platinum were frustrating the development of talent from around the Zvishavane community by buying players like Aaron Katebe, Winston Mhango and Petros Mhari.

“We have not thrown away our junior policy and right now there is an Under-16 team that is based at Guinea Fowl High.

“Players from this Under-16 team graduate to the Under-19 team in Division One and eventually into the senior team,” she said.

The FC Platinum spokesperson also pointed out that players were taken aback by Chilumba’s resignation and Chikuni was likely to take charge when they face Motor Action in Harare on Wednesday.

“We had become like a family with Chilumba and the players did not take it lightly that he was leaving .

“We are not yet privy as to when the new substantive coach will be announced but at the moment we are looking for a new coach.

“In the meantime Tendai Chikuni will take charge of the team,” she said.