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NewsDay

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Caps United in tricky FC Platinum clash

Sport
The race for the 2011 Castle Lager Premier Soccer League championships gets hotter this weekend with two top teams engaged in tricky assignments that will see log leaders Motor Action hosting Chicken Inn while second-placed FC Platinum engage resurgent Caps United. With seven rounds of matches to go, defending champions Motor Action and FC Platinum […]

The race for the 2011 Castle Lager Premier Soccer League championships gets hotter this weekend with two top teams engaged in tricky assignments that will see log leaders Motor Action hosting Chicken Inn while second-placed FC Platinum engage resurgent Caps United.

With seven rounds of matches to go, defending champions Motor Action and FC Platinum are both tied on 42 points with the latter topping the log owing to a superior goal difference.

Other matches scheduled for Saturday will see Monomotapa taking on Moses Chunga’s Gunners at Rufaro Stadium while Gwanzura Stadium will witness the battle of “minnows” in Kiglon and Shooting Stars.

However, it is the battle of the “Green Machines” at Mandava Stadium that looks interesting as was the case when the two teams met in the first half of the season.

The match played at the National Sports Stadium ended in 2-2 stalemate with David Rediyoni and Washington Pakamisa on target for the Caps United while the talented but wayward Charles Sibanda and Benjamin Marere found the mark for FC Platinum.

That was not before Caps United survived a late onslaught from the mega-rich platinum miners who were heavily let down by their strikers who looked as if they were being intimidated by the tall figure of United goalkeeper Muzondiwa Gonese.

However, a lot has happened since that day with both teams having changed their drivers. Caps United have turned to former son Lloyd Chitembwe for salvation having parted ways with Chunga who is now at Gunners.

On the other hand, FC Platinum have gone beyond the borders to lure back home championship winning coach Rahman Gumbo from Botswana.

The match comes at the right time for ninth-placed Lloyd Chitembwe’s men as they are still on cloud nine having come from behind to choke life out of struggling giants Highlanders to win 3-1 in their last game.

They had, however, bounced back from the energy sapping 1-0 defeat at the hands of Hwange after having beaten Kiglon 2-0 in Chitembwe’s first match since rejoining the team.

Things have not been moving in the right direction for Gumbo’s men as they have managed just two points out of a possible six in their last two games.

They managed a goalless draw against Motor Action and another 1-1 in an ill tempered match against Chicken Inn three weeks ago.

FC Platinum coach Gumbo said they would treat the game as it came.

“We have no injuries at the moment and we will treat every game as it comes. There is nothing special about the game as it is just one of the league games which we have to win,” he said.

Fixtures

Saturday: Monomotapa v Gunners (Rufaro Stadium), Kiglon v Shooting Stars (Gwanzura Stadium) Motor Action v Chicken Inn (Motor Action Stadium), FC Platinum v Caps United (Mandava Stadium)

Sunday: MasvingvShabanie (Mucheke Stadium), Hwange v Black Mambas (Colliery Stadium), Dynamos v Zimbabwe Saints(Rufaro Stadium), Highlanders v Blue Ribbon (Barbourfields Stadium)