FC PLATINUM gaffer Norman Mapeza is cautiously optimistic that his side could write another Chibuku Super Cup fairytale and take the silverware in the biggest knock-out tournament in the country.
Mapeza’s platinum miners are penciled to face Harare giants Dynamos in the quarter-finals tomorrow.
Although he was careful not to set the cart before the horse, Mapeza yesterday revealed his ambitions of guiding the four-time champions to another final of the competition.
FC Platinum are riding on a rich vein of form having beat CAPS United, Triangle and Herentals in the last three league matches but Mapeza appreciates that the cup tournament is a different ball game.
The Zvishavane side will be without the services of talisman Walter Musona and midfield workhorse Brian Banda who are with Warriors in Botswana.
Dynamos will also miss the services of the midfield duo of Donald Mudadi and Tanaka Shandirwa as well as their head coach Genesis Mangombe also in Botswana.
The former Warriors skipper insists that his team must pull all stops if they are to beat Dynamos.
“This is a cup game. Its different game from the league. Dynamos haven’t won this tournament, so it might be their chance to win it.
- Panashe Mutasa comes of age at Tenax FC
- Dynamos back to winning ways
- Ndiraya backs Antonio to impress in Belgium
- Artists struggling to grasp intellectual property rights
Keep Reading
“The same goes for us. We have won it twice but we still want more. If we do well on Saturday, we will hope to do it again in the semi-finals and as well as the final.
“We know what is stake and we will give our all to win and proceed to the next level,” Mapeza said.
The Platinum miners are looking to get some respite in the Chibuku Super Cup as they have been playing second fiddle in the league.
“Our preparations have gone so well. We don’t have any complaints despite us not having those two guys (Walter Musona and Brian Banda) who have been selected to represent the country.
“Its a massive motivation for us that our players are being selected to represent the country. I'm happy for them.”
He said that Dynamos will be a tough proposition as they have been playing well.
“But coming to our game against Dyamos, it’s not going to be easy and if you look at our history with them, we met four times in the Chibuku Super Cup.
"Starting in 2016, when we lost, we played them in 2021 and we won in Harare, it was 1-0. We played again in 2022, then we won on penalties in Harare. Then we lost to Herentals in the semi-finals.
“So they have been interesting to play against Dynamos in these cup competitions. We are expecting a good game of football. Dynamos will always remain Dynamos.
“They have rich history in our country. They will have a stand-in coach and I'm sure definitely, he will be there to prove point. But it’s much about us, we are not thinking about them,” Mapeza added.
