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Mehluli Sibanda, Sports Editor

FC PLATINUM have, by winning the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League for the 2021/2, joined an elite league of teams that have lifted the trophy four times in a row in the modern PSL era.

Pure Platinum Play made a slow start but made sure that they had a strong finish to see off the challenge of Chicken Inn and Dynamos to lift their fourth consecutive title.

Before FC Platinum did it, Highlanders and Dynamos, the giants of local football had the proud record of being champions for four consecutive seasons.

Bosso did it in 1998/99, 2000, 2001 and 2002 before their fierce rivals won the title in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014.
It was actually in 2017 that FC Platinum made history. Having fallen short for years in their quest to land the league title, it finally came together for Pure Platinum Play when they defeated Chapungu 2-0 on the final day of the season at Ascot Stadium to be crowned champions.

They became the first side in the modern era of the league outside Harare and Bulawayo to win the coveted title.
Historically, only St Paul’s Musami achieved this feat of being title winners from outside the two biggest cities in Zimbabwe when they bagged the title in 1966.

Platinum players celebration

FC Platinum seemed not content with winning it just once as they have now gone on to finish on top in the country’s top flight league four times in a row.

For Norman Mapeza, who gave Pure Platinum Play their maiden title in 2017, he has now presided over three of their successful campaigns.

He left the Zvishavane based side just before they won their third championship in 2019, with Lizwe Sweswe going on to finish the job off on the last day against Caps United at the National Sports Stadium.

Mapeza has now won four titles, three with FC Platinum and one with the now defunct Monomotapa in 2008. The former Warriors skipper is now in a league of achievers who have won two or more league titles, as Rahman Gumbo, Sunday Chidzambwa and Kalisto Pasuwa. Dynamos were under Pasuwa’s guidance when they who won four in a row from 2011 to 2014.

FC Platinum’s success has not been confined locally as they have also rubbed shoulders with some of the best teams on the continent in the Confederation of Africa Football Champions League.

Pure Platinum Play qualified for the Caf Champions League group stage during the 2018/19 campaign where they got to face Esperance, Orlando Pirates and Horoya.

FC Platinum

Prior to that, Dynamos, Monomotapa and Caps United had been the only Zimbabwean teams to make it to the competition’s group stage.

They did make it to the group stage again in the 2019/20 Champions League, which saw them face off against Étoile Sportive du Sahel, Al Ahly and Al-Hilal.

Mapeza will be hoping that Zimbabwe’s suspension is soon lifted by Fifa so that FC Platinum can continue with their dream of conquering Africa. -@Mdawini_29