Mutasa eyes Uhuru Cup LIoyd “Samaita” Mutasa
LIoyd “Samaita” Mutasa

LIoyd “Samaita” Mutasa

Paul Mundandi in Zvishavane
FC PLATINUM coach LIoyd “Samaita” Mutasa has set his sights on lifting the Independence Cup when his side clashes with Dynamos at the National Sports Stadium in Harare tomorrow.
“We definitely need to add the cup to our cabinet. A league game you can lose the first match and do well in the reverse fixture but a cup match is played only once so we need to be at our best to beat Dynamos. “It’s going to be a tough match because Dynamos want to do well  but we also want to beat them for the second time. Remember we beat them for the first time at Mandava in a league match last year,” said the soft-spoken coach.

He added, “They will be fired up and we are also fired up for the cup that has a lot of significance in the history of our country”.
The only notable absentee at the platinum miners will be Mutare-born Njabulo “Tshiki” Ncube who many fans of the Zvishavane club now call Bvunzawabaya after he publicly made his roots known in an recent interview with this paper. Njabulo limped off after clashing with goalkeeper Talbort Shumba at training yesterday.

After drawing with newly promoted Chiredzi (away), Mutasa’s men blew a 2-0 lead at home to lose the match 2-3 at the hands of Hwange with all the goals coming from well taken corner kicks by Eric Chipeta.

“Our defeat is now water under the bridge though I would like to admit that it was a wake up call to  my players. There is no  need to panic because it’s football,” said the gaffer.

Wisdom Mutasa, the best central midfielder at FC Platinum so far, and Walter Musona, who both have seen little action, might find themselves in the starting line up. Gift Bello, former Dstv defender James Marufu, Simon Shoko, Qadr Amin, Raphael Muduviwa and Thabani Kamusoko are likely to take care of the defence.

FC Platinum have some of the best players in the country and are bubbling with confidence after beating Dynamos for the first time last season. Mutasa has never lost to Dynamos in his career as a coach as the best the Glamour Boys have done against their former son are draws.

Tomorrow, Mutasa, with the likes of Ali Sadiki, Michelle Katsvairo, Tarisai Rukanda, Tataenda Mudehwe, Zambian national Obrey Chirwa, Donald Ngoma and Nelson Maziwisa, looks the man likely to walk up to the podium.

A victory will silence a section of former FC Platinum executive members who are allegedly not happy with their ouster.
There are allegations that some of them were pushing some of the players to leave to other clubs chief among them Donald Ngoma and Nelson Maziwisa.

Some senior players have also been part of the clique allegedly backed by the former executive which is trying to stall progress for the George Mawere-led executive.
According to insiders, the former leadership already has a coach whom they want to take over.

Mutasa, however, is believed to have a long term contract. With Masimba Dinyero and the executive on his side, he is likely to deliver and leave his enemies with an egg on their faces.

But FC Platinum are not up against an ordinary side. Dynamos are the country’s most successful club and this is largely due to their amazing ability to rise above expectations and deliver when least expected to.

Even against a background of in-house issues, the players have been known to put that to the back of their minds and play for the fans.
In players like Partson Jaure, George Chigova, Ocean Mushure, Augustine Mbara, Patrick Khumbula, Clive Kawinga and Tawanda Muparati, coach Callisto Pasuwa, not wanted by certain sections within the club, has the players with the predigree to win the club its seventh Independence Cup.

Dynamos are the country’s most decorated club having won virtually every national tournament contested for since 1963.

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