Unbeaten Platinum crowned champions
AFTER two days of non-stop action, the inaugural Premier Netball League season, came to an exciting end, with Platinum Queens lifting their maiden domestic title.
The Zvishavane-based Queens join their male counterparts who are now the three time champions in the Premier Soccer league.
Twenty teams gathered at the same venue in Beitbridge for the final bubble over the weekend.
Platinum Queens reigned supreme following a pulsating 21-18 victory over ZDF in their final game of the season.
Platinum Queens’ coach, Simbarashe Mlambo, showered his players with praises.
“I think the results speak for themselves. We were a good team. We gave everyone who wanted to challenge for the title a good run for their money. Especially considering that we didn’t have much of our seniors who were out on national duty,” Mlambo said.
Platinum finished the season unbeaten in 40 matches. They only drew against Ngezi Platinum on Saturday.
“I didn’t think that we would go unbeaten. We thought if someone pulls a miracle somewhere they will beat us but if they manage to beat us, they can also be beaten, so imagine when all the big teams were beating each other up taking turns to lash out a fist for a fist that worked well for us.”
Platinum joined the elite league in 2017 and finished on position 10 while in 2018 they scooped the inaugural Rainbow Amateur Netball League tournament. That same year they finished in third position in the league.
In 2019, they were the silver medallists in the same league.
“I’m excited, exhilarated, I am jubilant, ecstatic, I run short of words to describe the feeling that I have as a coach. There is no secret really, it’s all about creating a family.”
Asked about their secret behind the success,
Mlambo said:
“It’s understanding your players, their strengths, their weaknesses and what they are able to bring to the table. So different players’ positions all come together for the good.
“It’s all about analysing the game plan and making sure that you tell them what they need to do and what is expected from them. We have fans in Zvishavane and we just need to make them proud,” he said.
Asked how they managed to keep their players motivated, Mlambo said:
“I think motivation starts from within, what you want to achieve as a player. So imagine when seven of their players are called for the national team, I think that is motivation enough.
“From the management and executive end, I think they have done exceptionally well in keeping these girls motivated, how they travel, where they stay when they travel, even refreshment and everything, it’s just on point.
“It’s not like they are a rich club but they just organised, they know how to channel their resources to be able to achieve the best out of the girls.
“I believe they will break a leg for the club and I really like the sacrifice,” he said.
Mlambo said, adding new blood in the team means continuity.
“We believe in turning small names into big names. And getting new blood is seeing potential.”
Four of the team’s senior’s players were on national duty and didn’t manage to play for the better of the season. But the team still managed to maintain a winning record. That also impressed Mlambo.
“Accomplishing the result that we accomplished without the services of the senior players is the greatest gift for me. That is my Christmas present for me.
“When you look at the likes of Sthabile, she played goal shooter against ZDF and Harare City she just managed to get that shot, I think she has the perfect shot.
“They made it and I like to celebrate one of the greatest players in the team, I took someone from centre/ wing attack and play them at goalkeeper and it was a trial for the first two games and it worked for the rest of the games and indeed, Silibaziso Shumba was just on point. There is depth in the team,”
Platinum Queens’s captain Nomagugu Makhalima is impressed with how her team performed.
“The tittle win is very important to us because it shows growth as a team, and how far the lord has taken us, so we are grateful.”
“I am more than happy. My teammates are exceptional. They fought all the way. Never had second options about winning the title,” she said.