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Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
FC PLATINUM face their bogey side Bulawayo Chiefs in their next Castle Lager Premier Soccer League match at Mandava Stadium in Zvishavane on Saturday.

The platinum miners will be facing Chiefs for the sixth time in the Premiership after putting up a good shift last week to topple Chicken Inn from the top of the league table with a comprehensive 3-0 win through goals by Walter Musona (brace) and Juan Mutudza.

Chiefs have beaten FC Platinum three times and lost twice in their previous five encounters since being promoted into the topflight league in 2018.

The Ninjas have won their last two games against FC Platinum, edging them 1-0 in Zvishavane on November 2, 2019, and 2-0 in this year’s reverse fixture at Luveve Stadium in February.

Chiefs’ other victory over FC Platinum was in their first meeting on April 21, 2018, which they won 2-0.

FC Platinum won the reverse fixture of the 2018 season 3-1 as well as the first-leg of the 2019 season 3-0.

Chiefs, however, go into Saturday’s game smarting from 0-1 home defeat to Cranborne Bullets, which ended their nine-match unbeaten run.

Chiefs’ coach Nilton Terroso lamented poor officiating by former Fifa referee Philan Ncube, who made a number of questionable decisions against the hosts, including reversing a penalty decision after a Cranborne player had handled in the box.

The side is in 10th place with 26 points, 14 behind leaders FC Platinum, and coach Nilton Terreso will probably work on motivating his players’ confidence, as they seek to bounce back to winning ways.

It will be a demanding encounter for Chiefs, as FC Platinum have only lost once at home this season when they went down 0-1 to Ngezi in March.

Since then, the champions have played four matches at home, winning all their encounters, including the 3-0 boardroom result they got from their abandoned game against Highlanders.

FC Platinum beat Whawha 1-0, Caps United Caps United 3-0 and Triangle United 4-0 in other games at home.

Harare City, Chicken Inn and Tenax have all left Mandava emptyhanded this season, while Dynamos are the only team to hold  FC Platinum to a stalemate at their home ground.

Chiefs’ only defeat on the road this season so far was 2-1 against Black Rhinos.

Chiefs played to four draws away from Bulawayo and won once when they beat Yadah 1-0.

Matchday 19 fixtures

Friday
Yadah vs Harare City (National Sports Stadium)

Saturday
Herentals vs Ngezi Platinum Stars (National Sports Stadium), Bulawayo City vs Whawha (Barbourfields), Cranborne Bullets vs Dynamos (Vengere), FC Platinum v Bulawayo Chiefs (Mandava)

Sunday
Highlanders vs Manica Diamonds (Barbourfields), Triangle United vs ZPC Kariba (Gibbo), Caps United vs Black Rhinos (National Sports Stadium), Tenax vs Chicken Inn (TBA)