FC Platinum host a resurgent but injury dogged Caps United at Mandava Stadium in a Castle Lager Premiership football match that the platinum miners have acknowledged they need to be at their best to win.
Report by Ephraim Shoko
Caps United trek to Zvishavane without the services of industrious striker Washington Pakamisa and Edmore Chafungamoyo, while Evans Gwekwerere and Rahman Kutsanzira are also doubtful.
FC Platinum might miss Simon Shoko who picked a knock in the Mbada Diamonds Cup first round while striker Donald Ngoma and midfielder Kabby Kamhapa are both suspended after accruing three yellow cards.
Both FC Platinum and Caps United have had an indifferent season so far, but it’s Caps United who are worse off, having to fight against the chop together with minnows like Hardbody and Quelaton.
Caps United are 11th on the log with 23 points, five away from the relegation zone, while FC Platinum are seventh and on the log with 35 points.
The fading Harare giants’ poor showing this season makes them the underdogs going into this match, but FC Platinum spokesperson Philemon Muwengwa has refused to be fooled into reading much into statistics.
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Muvengwa is wary of Caps United’s resurgence that has seen them win their last two matches against Hardbody in the league and Motor Action in the first round of the Mbada Diamonds Cup.
“The match is a bit tricky and we need to be at our best to beat Caps United. They have rediscovered their form which makes them a tricky side. We have not beaten Caps United in all our previous encounters.
Instead it’s them who have beaten us once and that makes the match all the more tricky for us.
“We have, however, prepared well for the match and the team is ready for battle. The only worry we have is Simon Shoko who was injured last weekend, but we are assessing him to see if he can pass a late fitness test,” he said.
Caps United will be praying that their strikerforce, led by Shingi Kawondera, will not forget their scoring boots as has been the case in most of their matches. The Harare side’s forwards have been shy in front of goal this season scoring a meagre 17 goals in 21 matches compared to Platinum’s 33 from the same number of games.
Interestingly, both teams have made changes in the technical department, changes that have changed the fortunes for the two teams.
At Caps, Taurai Mangwiro took over from Sean Connor, who had gone for four matches without a win and the former Monomotapa gaffer has managed four points so far.The result seems okay from a perspective of Caps United faithfuls who had become accustomed to seeing their team’s winless streak.
At FC Platinum, Tendai Chikuni took over from Rahman Gumbo and has not done badly. Chikuni has even gone to the extent of benching senior players like Tafadzwa Dube who has been replaced by Francis Tizayi in goals.
Thabani Kamusoko has now been redeployed into a defensive role under Chikuni, and the changes have rejuvenated FC Platinum’s league campaign, with players like the recalled William
