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Platinum to register 25 players

Sport
Castle Lager Premier Soccer League runners up FC Platinum will register 25 players for the Confederation of African Football (Caf) Champions League, club coach Rahman Gumbo has revealed. The Platinum miners plunge into their maiden dance with continental football – after only a season in the top-flight season – with a preliminary round date with […]

Castle Lager Premier Soccer League runners up FC Platinum will register 25 players for the Confederation of African Football (Caf) Champions League, club coach Rahman Gumbo has revealed.

The Platinum miners plunge into their maiden dance with continental football – after only a season in the top-flight season – with a preliminary round date with little-known Swaziland’s Green Mamba in February next year.

More than 30 players have tried their luck with the Zvishavane side recently with the hope of muscling their way into Gumbo’s plans.

The club will add five more players if they manage to negotiate their way into the money-spinning mini league phase of the continental club tournament.

“By Thursday (tomorrow) we would have finalised the list of players we will be registering for the Champions League.

“We intend to register 25 players. Right now I cannot say their names or the number of those we are going to sign. “We might sign two or four, who knows?

We are still working on the list and we will only be able to divulge our new signings on Thursday (tomorrow),” said Gumbo.

Gunners midfielder Ali Sadiki appears to have charmed Gumbo and is likely to have won a contract.

His teammates at Chando Kupisa Michelle Katsvairo who attended trials, Qadr Amini and Ishmael Lawe are also rumoured to be on their way.

Masvingo’s Hardlife Mavundi also seems to have impressed Gumbo and so is his teammate Welcome Ndiweni, while goalkeeper Francis Tizai is also hoping to secure a contract.

Highlanders defender Gilbert Banda is also a bet to be unveiled by the Platinum miners to beef up their defence which was badly exposed in big matches in the just-ended season with ageing Itai Gwandu struggling for pace.

Reports from Zvishavane on Monday said Louis Matawu phoned Bosso secretary Andrew Tapela requesting a clearance which is a hint of his pending signing with Platinum.

Kelvin Mapanya from Blue Ribbon also featured for the platinum miners in a friendly match against Hwange on Saturday, while Shabanie’s Rowan Nenzou and Simon Shoko also played.

But the small crowd was shocked to witness the introduction of former Highlanders striker Mkhokheli Dube who has been plying his trade in the United States of America.

Dube was once under the tutelage of Gumbo at Bosso while Nenzou also played under Gumbo in the national team. Dube, though will be returning to the US to play for Chicago Fire.

Four Malawians Chikondi Likwemba, Innocent Jere, Forster Namwera and Allan Kamanga are also some of the players who tried their luck at Platinum.

Gumbo said for now, Platinum who could meet Sudan’s Al-Merreikh if they prevail over Green Mamba are focusing on their immediate opponents. “We are not yet worried about Al-Merreikh.

They can wait for us because at the moment all our focus is on Green Mamba. I know Mamba very well from before, how they play and everything,” said Gumbo.

Motor Action’s duo of Allan Gahadzikwa and Masimba Mambare are some of a host of players who have gave a shot at the platinum miners in recent weeks.