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NewsDay

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Platinum, Monoz clash

Sport
FC Platinum return to Gwanzura Stadium today for a date with Monomotapa in a Castle Lager Premier Soccer League match as they seek to close in on the three-point gap on unbeaten Highlanders. Highlanders face Harare City at Barbourfields tomorrow while joint second-placed Shabanie Mine have a tricky tie against fourth-placed Chicken Inn at Maglas […]

FC Platinum return to Gwanzura Stadium today for a date with Monomotapa in a Castle Lager Premier Soccer League match as they seek to close in on the three-point gap on unbeaten Highlanders.

Highlanders face Harare City at Barbourfields tomorrow while joint second-placed Shabanie Mine have a tricky tie against fourth-placed Chicken Inn at Maglas tomorrow.

After scraping a 2-1 win over Blue Rangers at the same venue last weekend, the platinum miners are sitting on Bosso’s tail, with the Bulawayo giants however enjoying a game in hand.

Gwanzura has turned into a fertile hunting ground for the Zvishavane side this season, where they have collected six points so far after prevailing 4-1 over Harare City last month before last weekend’s 2-1 edging of Rangers.

They did not lose at the same venue in their debut season last year and with striker Donald Ngoma back after a long layoff, the winning streak might just continue.

But Monoz pose a great threat to Platinum as the Harare side would want to atone for their 2-1 defeat last week at the hands of Shabanie Mine.

With four of their key players returning from injury this week, the Taurai Mangwiro-coached side is likely to give Platinum a good run for their money.

Impressive striker Ronald “Rooney” Chitiyo, Joseph Mutambiranwa and defenders Fidelis Mangezi and Charles Rukwanhi are making returns from injury. Mangwiro is confident the return of the quartet will spur the team to a win.

“Last week we missed four of our key players who have just been certified fit for the Platinum game and that will boost us. We have a good home record that we hope to maintain,” said Mangwiro.

Pure Platinum Play spokesperson Philemon Muvengwa told NewsDay Sport: “It’s a good game that is on the cards, Monoz play some enterprising football and we have to be wary of them. The good news for our supporters is that all our players are fit and ready to do battle. It is up to the coach to pick who he thinks is best.”

However, both Muvengwa and Mangwiro refused to read much into the statistics, saying the game before them was a new one requiring a different approach. “Yes, statistics are good for psychological purposes, but this is a whole new game that we need to approach differently. We cannot really bank on history to win us matches,” Muvengwa said.

Echoed Mangwiro: “We would not want to live in the past. What happened back then should not affect us now. If anything, we have to take this as a whole new game and approach it as such. There is a first time for everything and this could be our first win again Platinum.”

Barbourfields, Harare City take on Highlanders, featuring young Ozias Zibande for the first time and hoping for a second giant-killing act after shocking Dynamos last week.

City, who also play for the first time in Bulawayo this weekend, beat fancied Dynamos 1-0 in a midweek fixture and they would want to win this match at all costs.

Harare City chairman Leslie Gwindi said although they were treating this match like any other, it was a must-win for them.

“It is a game that we must win. The boys are playing well at the moment and we hope to keep the momentum. The match against Highlanders is just like any other match that we have played previously,” he said.

Highlanders assistant coach Bekithemba Ndlovu chose to downplay the match, saying they were treating it like any other.

“It is the same as any other match that we have played so far. It really does not have much of a difference. There is no special match in the Premier League,” he said.

“Every team is a good team and we cannot base their performance on how they played against their previous opponents. We will also treat them as such, as new opponents and as a big team. There is no small team in the league because as long as they are in the Premier League, it means that they are capable of doing something.”