BY HENRY MHARA
SIMBA STARS . . . (1) 4 FC PLATINUM . . . . . . 0
(Simba Stars qualify to the Caf Champions League group stages on 4-1 aggregate) A LATE collapse by FC Platinum against Simba Stars of Tanzania in the Caf Champions League match yesterday saw the Zimbabwean representatives crash out of the tournament in the first round.
After winning the first leg 1-0 in Harare, the Norman Mapeza-coached side needed just to avoid a defeat to qualify for tomorrow’s group stage draw.
However, a haphazard and at times chaotic second half performance saw them collapsing in front of at least 30 000 fans that were allowed into the Benjamin Mokapa Stadium in Dar-es Salam.
The home side scored a controversial first half penalty, converted by Erasto Nyoni, a goal that set themselves on the way to a comfortable victory.
Ralph Kawondera missed a sitter for FC Platinum on the 58th minute, a goal that could have levelled matters and completely changed the complexion of the match.
Three minutes later, he and his team were made to rue the missed chance as Shomari Kapombe side-footed a rebound following a mistake by goalkeeper Francis Tizayi, who spilled a long range shot.
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As the clock ticked 90 minutes, the score remained 2-0 and the game was well within reach for FC Platinum who just needed to score an away goal to go through. But John Bocco took the match beyond the visitors when he rolled in a cutback in the 91st minute before Clatous Chama made the win emphatic with a 94th minute penalty after he had been impeded inside the box by Gift Bello.
FC Platinum played the match under protest after results of their COVID-19 tests done on the squad were released to their opponents first, while they only had access to them hours before the match.
With five of the players returning positive tests to the virus, Mapeza was forced to make changes to his squad a few hours before kick-off.
Four of the five affected players including goalkeeper Petros Mhari and midfielders Rainsome Pavari and Silas Songani, were set to start the match.
Despite the pre-match hiccup, the hugely altered FC Platinum side initially looked comfortable as they allowed the home side to enjoy the ball but barely threatening.
Mapeza’s men were first breached on the half hour mark when Luis Miquissone beat the offside trap, but Tizayi made a brilliant save to keep the shot out.
A minute later, the Tanzanian outfit were awarded a penalty after Tawana Chikore pulled down his marker. FC Platinum players protested the decision, arguing that the referee had made a bad call.
They had good reason to feel aggrieved as television replays showed that the incident happened way outside the area.
It took over eight minutes for the visiting players to return to the field of play, and after the prolonged remonstrations, Nyoni hit the roof of the net to level the aggregate scores.
FC Platinum players, still feeling hard done, were clearly losing their heads as they complained bitterly every decision that went against them going into the half-time break.
Caf could be forced to look further into the FC Platinum players’ conduct as some could be seen manhandling the matchday referee who somehow didn’t flash a red card to the culprits.
After Miquissane had hit the crossbar from a freekick at the start of the second half, Kawondera had a chance to level the scores when he got to an end of a pass inside the box. The former Triangle midfielder beat the goalkeeper and with an open goal in front of him, he inexplicably placed his shot wide.
FC Platinum were made to pay for that miss when Tizayi failed to collect a shot from afar and Kapombe pounced.
There was still plenty of time for the Zimbabwe side to score the all-important away goal and looked like they would do, but for all their positive play later in the second half, it was the Tanzanian side who proved to be ruthless in front of goal.
Follow Henry on Twitter @henrymhara
