The Sunday News
Mehluli Sibanda, Senior Sports Reporter
HAVING been booted out of the Confederation of African Football Champions League in painful circumstances, FC Platinum will look to secure a healthy first leg lead against ASC Jaraaf of Senegal in the Confederation Cup at the National Sports Stadium this afternoon.
FC Platinum defeated Simba Sports Club 1-0 in the Caf Champions League preliminary round first leg at the NSS in December and that proved not enough when they were hammered 4-0 in the second leg in Tanzania last month.
The loss saw the three times in a row Zimbabwean champions being demoted to the Confed Cup and that painful exit should spur them on against the Senegalese.
ASC Jaraaf defeated FC Kano Pillars of Nigeria 3-1 on aggregate in the preliminary round and the saw off San-Pédro of Ivory Coast on away goals rule. FC Platinum shifted training to Harare on 3 February and the Senegalese arrived in Zimbabwe last Wednesday.
If FC Platinum win, they will book a place in the Confed Cup group stage. The 15 teams that make it to next round will join the 2019/20 champions RS Berkane of Morocco who secured automatic qualification according to Caf’s official clubs ranking for the 2020/21 season. — @Mdawini_29
