Mapeza switches focus
FC PLATINUM coach Norman Mapeza says although his team is yet to lose in the Castle Lager Premiership this season, he is not entirely happy with their campaign.
The Zvishavane miners host Harare City at Mandava this afternoon.
Mapeza is coming from a very successful weekend when he guided the Warriors to a 3-0 victory over Liberia in an AFCON qualifier.
“We have six draws and five wins, definitely for me as a coach it is not that pleasing,’’ Mapeza told a media briefing yesterday.
“There are some games we have lost points, where I thought maybe we could have done better, but at the end of the day this is football and sometimes you can’t change it.
“You just need to keep working hard and try rectify some of the problems which would be happening during our games and see what happens come end of the season.
“The most important thing for us now is to collect maximum points, be consistent, in the past last two games we have picked two points out of six which is not good for us, but every coach tries to play these games and get maximum points so the focus is on us to do well, collect points as much as we can then see what happens.’’
He said he was concerned about facing a Harare City side with the potential of upsetting them.
“They have been doing well away from home and I think after that win which Philani (Harare City coach Ncube) got in Bulawayo against Bantu Rovers, they are more comfortable than playing at home so it is not going to be an easy game for us.
“I have picked up they have been doing well away from home.
“Like I said he is a new coach, and the players will really work hard for him so that he keeps them in his plans, so it is a game where as a club, as an institution, we will play to win and I am sure they will come with the same mentality.
“We know the danger they pose. But we have done enough of our homework and we will use our home advantage and hope to get a positive result,” he said.
FC Platinum will be without consistent midfielder Simon Shoko who was injured during the national team camp.
He has also been ruled out after picking up three yellow cards.
Striker Gift Mbweti is still out with an injury while midfielder Marshal Mudehwe, who lost his mum last week, is also unavailable.
Ncube is bullish ahead of the visit to Zvishavane.
“They have not been beaten, but we can be the first team to beat them. Everything is going according to plan as the players are quickly adjusting to my philosophy. It is a process,’’ said Ncube.