The Sunday News
From Patrick Chitumba in Zvishavane
FC Platinum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (3)(4)
Triangle FC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (0)(0)
Striker Walter Musona was all FC Platinum needed to outsmart Triangle in a pulsating Premier Soccer League encounter played at Mandava Stadium yesterday.
The win was so emphatic that coach Norman Mapeza believes it’s a sign that his youthful squad is destined for better strides in this campaign.
Knowledge Musona
The defending champions were off the mark as early as the first minute, with Musona thrusting them ahead after tapping the ball home from a low cross curled in by Donald Teguru.
They doubled their scores after 37 minutes through Thandolwenkosi Ngwenya before he completed his brace on the stroke of half-time.
Musona wrapped up the encounter on the 82nd minute, sealing his own brace with a cool finish from outside the box.
FC Platinum
Triangle themselves struggled to break the FC Platinum backline despite the fact that Mapeza had a makeshift line-up in the absence of injured William Stima and Evidence Tendai.
The win left FC Platinum sitting on third position, with four points separating them from leaders Chicken Inn.
And Mapeza is impressed with the progress made so far.
“The first-half was better for us, we got an early goal and that helped to calm our nerves.
I didn’t expect it but that proved to be the most important start for us.
They tried to come back after ten minutes but we managed to hold on.
Thanks to the goalkeeper, we managed to keep the lead.
We caught them unaware and it paid off today.
The boys have been working hard and this is a sign that we are moving in the right direction.”
Jairos Tapera
His counterpart Jairos Tapera blamed his team’s lack of concentration for the defeat.
“That lack of concentration in the early minutes proved to be costly for us.
Of course the goal wasn’t much out of brilliance but we gave it to them through that mistake.
The first-half then turned out to be horrific for us, we got chances but failed to hit the target yet our opponents did well in front of goal.
We gifted three goals and we lost the match by this embarrassing margin.”
Teams
FC Platinum: W Magalane, G Mbweti, G Bello, N Chinyerere, K Mangiza (R Pavari 64), B Banda, B Moyo, H Magaya, D Teguru( J Mutudza 83’), W Musona (O Bhebhe 90), T Ngwenya (P Mutimbanyoka 65’).
Triangle: T Chitsumba, J Mukombwe, M Ngwenya, A Chiveya (T Chisi 44’), K Gwao, T Mkunga, W Sande, R Madamombe (T Kabanda 65’), C Dzingai, D Ngoma, G Bero
