The Sunday News
Mehluli Sibanda, Senior Sports Reporter
THREE times in a row Zimbabwean club champions, FC Platinum will once again represent the country in the Confederation of African Football Champions League for the 2021/22 season.
On Thursday, FC Platinum made it official that they are plunging into the African safari once again. The Zvishavane based side said their desire is become a force to be reckoned with in African football.
“FC Platinum confirmed participants of the 2021/22 Total CAF Champions League. In unusual times where events cannot confirm critical decisions, logic often bridges the gap. The Pure Platinum quest for continental dominance continues with the sole goal of lifting the national flag and continuing on with the legacies set by fellow countrymen on the Continental football prime showcase of the Caf Champions League,’’ said FC Platinum.
Zimbabwe’s biggest achievement in the Caf Champions League came in 1998 when Dynamos reached the final which they lost 4-2 over two legs against ASEC Mimosas of Ivory Coast. DeMbare also reached the semifinals of Africa’s most prestigious club football competition in 2008 under the guidance of the late David Mandigora. FC Platinum are yearning to reach such great heights.
“The 1998 feat set by Dynamos in the final against Asec Mimosas and the 2008 semi-final dance with Coton Sport remain benchmarks for the Zimbabwean Continental dominance dream. The journey continues and FC Platinum, as the Club’s short history testifies, is not shy to pursue untamed territory breaking records of its own towards the priced dominance on the Continental stage. Not yet there but Pure Platinum Play has the ‘African dream’ embedded to its core and is pushing every boundary regardless of any limitations to justly represent the nation and obtain a befitting status to the emerging African giant in football – Zimbabwe,’’ said FC Platinum.
In the 2020/21 Caf Champions League, FC Platinum beat Costa do Sol of Mozambique 4-1 on aggregate. Their journey however ended in the preliminary stage by Simba Sports Club of Tanzania who won 4-1 on aggregate. Norman Mapeza’s men were then relegated to the Confederation Cup where they they were beaten 2-0 on aggregate by ASC Jaraaf of Senegal in the playoff round to bow out of the competition.
According to Caf, the 2021/22 season will kick-off on 10 September 2021 with the first round of the preliminaries with the group stage to start in February 2022.
Zimbabwe only have one slot in the Caf Champions League and another in the Confederation Cup.
The 12 highest ranked national associations, according to the ranking of Caf, will be allowed to engage two clubs in next season’s Caf Champions League and Confederation Cup. Algeria, Angola, RD Congo, Egypt, Guinea, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Tunisia, Zambia are the countries with two slots each.
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