BY TERRY MADYAUTA
FC Platinum coach Norman Mapeza believes the rotation scheme he implemented during the Chibuku Super Cup group phase made his team unpredictable as the miners eye the quarter-finals.
Mapeza has been fusing a number of newbies promoted from the junior ranks with some of his reliable old horses in a rotation scheme that earned his charges top spot in Group 4 of the tournament.
Among the newbies, 18-year olds Thandolwenkosi Ngwenya and Oscar Bhebhe were thrown into the fray, with the former giving a glimmer of what he can offer after scoring two goals in four appearances.
And Mapeza believes this rotation scheme could yield more positive results if the players are not affected by injuries.
“Rotating players gives everyone a chance to prove themselves. It’s only fair to the players and it gives us more options going into future assignments.
“The results we are getting show that players are responding to our training programmes and instructions.
“On top of that, it makes us unpredictable as a team because anytime we can change our team and still manage to get a positive result.
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“After a long time without football, game time is good for us, so we are going to give everyone a chance to play and prove themselves,” Mapeza said.
Youngsters Panashe Mutimbanyoka and Kelvin Mangiza, who were promoted into the senior team in 2019 have since cemented their place in the team
Mapeza is spoilt for choice, with a formidable squad at his disposal.
He is yet to use Donald Ngoma, Nigerian striker Abubakar Temitope Onifade and Congolese forward Ellie Ilunga in this tournament
The 2019 Soccer Star of the year finalist Ralph Kawondera has also hardly been used albeit that he had been nursing an injury during the early stages of the competition.
Meanwhile Raphael Muduviwa and William Stima have remained sidelined due to injury.
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