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Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Sports Reporter
ETHIOPIAN referees will be in charge of FC Platinum’s Total Caf Champions League preliminary round second-leg encounter against CNaps of Madagascar at Mandava Stadium this afternoon.

Thirty-five-year-old Lemma Nigussie will blow the whistle this afternoon assisted by Temesgin Atango and Tigle Belachew in today’s clash which Pure Platinum Play have to win to progress to the first round of the tournament.

The first-leg encounter in Antananarivo last Wednesday ended 1-1 and coach Norman Mapeza’s charges need an outright win or a goalless draw to progress to the next stage of the flagship Caf club tournament where they will meet the winner between Congo Brazzaville’s Otoho and Angola’s Club de Agosto who are also meeting today.

The Angolans won the first encounter in Luanda 4-2 and need to avoid a 2-0 defeat to sail through.

The Angolans booted out FC Platinum 5-1 on aggregate early this year in the same competition.

Naturally, focus will be firmly on the men who will handle the crucial matches this afternoon, but with Caf and Fifa taking a no nonsense stance on poor match officiating, hopes are that no match will be decided by the whistle men.

Across the Limpopo, Zimbabwean officials, Nomore Musundire, Luckmore Mhara and Brighton Nyika will be in charge of Mamelodi Sundowns’ second-leg encounter against Leones Vegatarianos of Equatorial Guinea.

A lot is at stake in the competition, especially after Caf increased the prize money by 100 percent two years ago.

Winners of the Champions League competition will get $2.5 million, while the runners-up will take home $1.25 million, with the losing semi-finalists each getting $875 000.

Teams that bow out in the quarter-finals will receive $650 000 with qualifying for the group stage of the tournament guaranteeing the club a cool $550 000.

FC Platinum’s objective is to reach the group stage of the tournament and then let the rest take care of itself.