Grab Cosafa chance: Mapeza

FC PLATINUM coach Norman Mapeza says his players, who are part of Warriors squad at the COSAFA Cup in South Africa, have been given a glorious opportunity to play abroad.

Mapeza had a successful career and once played for Turkish giants Galatasaray in the Champions League.

FC Platinum face tricky crosstown rivals Shabanie Mine tomorrow and will be without Jameson Mukombwe and Kelvin Moyo who are with the Warriors.

The same competition last year opened the doors for Talent Chawapiwa, who joined Baroka FC, and Gerald Takwara who joined Ajax Cape Town.

“It will be good for their careers, any player will not be comfortable playing locally for quite sometime, everybody thrives to do well and leave the country.

“These guys have been given a massive opportunity to go to South Africa.

“For me, as a coach and FC Platinum as an institution, it will be massive for us, it shows the work we are putting in developing players.

“It means every year we have players we are producing who are going to other countries, it is a motivation for players who remain behind so it will be good for us as a club,” said Mapeza.

The platinum miners will be under pressure to collect maximum points at home against Takesure Chiragwi’s men to pile pressure on leaders Ngezi Platinum Stars who play on Sunday.

The champions have been celebrating this week after their Cameroonian forward Albert “Eto’o” Eonde turned 20 on Wednesday.

The club congratulated the highly-rated forward who arrived in Zimbabwe this year after scoring 16 goals for Coton Sport Garoua last season.

Eonde is highly-rated and his handlers believe he could be a hit at the club.