Caf Champions League debutants FC Platinum will conclude their preparations for their campaign with a friendly match against Black Mambas at Rufaro Stadium this afternoon.
The Zvishavane-based side will travel to Swaziland to face Green Mamba in the preliminary first leg qualifier.
Club secretary Philimon Muvengwa said the travelling squad will be named on Tuesday and the team will fly out on Thursday for the Sunday match.
Coach Rahman Gumbo has assembled a virtually new squad with 12 players making the exit and being replaced by the same number.
The new players include Qadr Amini, Gilbert Banda, Louis Matawu, Michelle Katsvairo, Hardlife Zvirekwi, Welcome Ndiweni, Allen Gahadzikwa and Rowan Nenzou, among others.
They have played two games so far, beating Motor Action 2-1 in the Bob 88 Super Cup semi-final before losing 2-0 to Botswana Meat Commission last Saturday. Gumbo hopes today’s match will give him his final travelling 18.
Meanwhile, the proposed friendly match between Dynamos and Shabanie Mine that had been set for this weekend has been cancelled. Dynamos were set to travel to Maglas Stadium tomorrow, but the team’s assistant coach Tonderai Ndiraya yesterday said his team will no-longer make the long trip to Zvishavane.
“It was on a short notice and there are a lot of logistics that need to be set up to fulfil such an away match. We have decided not to fulfil it, but we are hoping that we can arrange to meet Shabanie on another date,” said Ndiraya.
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He said despite a player strike that hit his team last week, preparations for next season were going on well. Dynamos players refused to train for three days last week, demanding their bonuses for winning the league.
They only resumed training after the intervention of Information and Publicity minister Webster Shamu who reportedly gave the players $20 000 to share among themselves.
“We still have four-and-a-half weeks to prepare for the season, so we can’t really say those few days that were lost will have a bearing on our season. In fact, we had to train during the weekend and our resting day Monday to compensate for the lost time,” said Tonderai Ndiraya Dynamos assistant coach.
