He remains calm:
DESPITE standing on the threshold of being crowned the 2018 Castle Lager Premier Soccer League champions and the buzz it has created around Zvishavane, FC Platinum coach Norman Mapeza cast a very calm figure, refusing to be swallowed by the frenzy that has engulfed this mining town. If the platinum miners could have it their way, they could order the stage to be set at Maglas tomorrow where they hope to seal a second successive championship by getting at least a draw against crosstown rivals Shabanie Mine. Mapeza’s men head into this Super Sunday battle sitting pretty at the top with 71 points and nine ahead of second-placed Ngezi Platinum. The champions are now just a point away from glory. FC Platinum have done almost everything to get the championship this year and they may not need any further point should rivals Ngezi Platinum Stars fail to beat relegation fighters Bulawayo Chiefs at Baobab. But on the eve of the FC Platinum coronation, Mapeza remained uncharacteristically grounded and challenged his players to give it their best while addressing his regular weekly media briefing. “It is the same approach, same mentality, (and) attitude. I think everybody knows where we are at the moment so there is no need to panic or maybe to change anything. “There is no one who might want to spoil the party. Everybody plays for three points, there is still three games to go so there is no party to talk about. It is not yet over, for now it is still game on. “Even if we play an amateur side I still want to win. I want to win everything. I take all things in terms of football very seriously, so this is a game that me as a coach and as a club, we are taking very seriously,” said Mapeza. Despite Mapeza’s diplomacy the mood in the Pure Platinum Play camp is boisterous ahead of the big game. FC Platinum chairman Evans Mutombeni said they are confident of success and urged their supporters to remain disciplined and celebrate responsibly. “We are cognisant of the fact that we are not yet Champions till we play and get at least a point on Sunday, however basing on our recent form and the hard work our technical team and players have been putting week in and week out, we are very capable of getting the positive result required for us to win this marathon. “But it will only be over after the final whistle, this being a derby it will be interesting how it pans out come Sunday 1700hrs. “Our supporters must remain disciplined as they have been for previous seasons and in the event we win the league on Sunday we must all celebrate responsibly and avoid incidents or any form of losses and costing the club. “Above all we are confident of bagging the second gong on Sunday,” said Mutombeni. Over the years this derby, one of the country’s liveliest has proved to be worth its billing despite facing serious threat of the existence. FC Platinum have invested a lot in their project while Shabanie have remained stagnant because of dire fiscal constraints which confined the Maglas side to become the first team to be demoted from the elite division.
An FC Platinum staunch supporter, Japhet Zikwature told The Herald of what it means to for them to win the title at the home of their fierce rivals.
“Beating Shabanie Mine is an ongoing wish of every FC Platinum supporter, we might fail to beat any other team but if we win against Shabanie we will be very happy.
“Nowadays I hear of people talking about Ngezi and any other team they are not our rivals we are just in the same league, our rival is Shabanie, it is a derby.
Although they are already demoted Shabanie Mine gaffer Alexio Sigion said if they allow FC Platinum to be crowned champions at Maglas it will be a betrayal to the multitudes of the fans.
“It will be unacceptable and we do not want to allow that to happen, yes they will ultimately win the title and we are happy for them but they are not supposed to win it at Maglas.
“If Ngezi fail to win their game FC Platinum will be champions here but that does not concern us, we just want to play our part to retain the pride of the team and to remain professional that is what fair play is all about.
“This game is about the pride of the team Shabanie, yes we have been relegated but we want to leave a mark even if we are going down.
“Preparations for this game have not gone according to our expectations. Most of the players were not turning up for training, but come Sunday I think we will be ready,” said Sigion.
“We knew well in advance that there was no way we can fail to win the title this year but what makes the achievement more memorable is to win at Maglas, it is an achievement that we will remember for the rest of our lives, we cannot wait for that to happen,” said Zikwature.