FC Platinum captain Zephania Ngodzo has rallied his teammates to rise to the occasion and show they know what is expected of them when the platinum miners face Blue Ribbon in a Castle Lager Premier Soccer League match at Rufaro Stadium on Saturday.
Both teams go into this tie spurred on by wins in their respective Mbada Diamonds Cup games played last weekend.
FC Platinum narrowly beat Black Mambas 1-0 in Chiredzi while Blue Ribbon demolished Shabanie Mine 4-0 at Ascot Stadium in the mega-rich cup.
Platinum sharing top spot with Motor Action with 43 points, but with an inferior goal difference, are winless in five successive league matches which has seen nearest challengers Dynamos gratefully closing the gap to only one point.
Since the 1-0 home win over Hwange on July 31, Platinum have gone to score a meager two goals in their last five games where they have scraped four points out of a possible fifteen.
Ngodzo, yesterday wore a brave face and said they were not feeling any pressure, but challenged his fellow players to step up their gear.
“This game is going to be like any other game, but obviously tough because Blue Ribbon want to prove a point against us. Football is all about competition and if one does not subscribe to that, they had better stay at home then. That is why we wake up in the morning everyday and train hard,” said Ngodzo.
“My teammates know what to do, they are fully aware of what is expected from them, so they should do what is expected if we are to win the championship.
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“Right now we have to be patient because Rome was not built in one day. In a football match three outcomes are possible. You can win, lose or draw. Anything can happen,” Ngodzo said.
Blue Ribbon coach Misheck Chidzambwa on Thursday sounded undaunted by prospect of facing angry Midlands giants in what looks like a Herculean task for him.
“Of course the match is going to be tough because they (FC Platinum) want to win the championship. But they are not scary,” Chidzambwa said.
“We should not be scared of them because that is why we are in the Premier League, to play good teams like them. We will see what happens on Saturday and the best team of the day will win.”
Blue Ribbon are settling on position nine and tied on 29 points with Caps United.
Felix Kuswatuka who scored a brace last weekend in Mbada Diamond Cup heroics, could be a threat to Ngodzo and his defence partners, while Young Warriors midfielder Charles Mukanhairi can also be a handful.
Former Dynamos defender Brighton Tuwaya will pray his weight will not work against him when facing speedy William Manondo and Benjamin Marere.
Erea Phiri could be a menace for Platinum while Daniel Kamunhenga might start the match after being benched last weekend.
