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NORMAN MAPEZA

Harare Bureau
FC Platinum coach Norman Mapeza says he would have preferred a neutral venue rather than Mandava Stadium for their Chibuku Super Cup final against Harare City this Sunday.

Mapeza said winning Sunday’s cup final will be a good thing for the Zvishavane-based club and the town but he would have loved the match to be played at a central place.

“As a coach I would have preferred a central or neutral venue for both teams so that people don’t say we had an unfair advantage as we were playing at home and had a home advantage in case that we win Sunday’s cup final.

“I believe we’re going to have a lot of pressure, we are playing at our home and that means we must aim high.

“The fitness among the players is good and I just hope that we will be able to win, this is a big cup coming our way and it will be good to get a victory.

“We won the Independence Cup as well as the Zimbabwe National Army Cup and to me those were small victories but the match which we’re going to play on Sunday will be the bigger one,” said Mapeza.

The Midlands giants defeated CAPS United 6-0 in the ZNA Charities Cup.

FC Platinum beat Bantu Rovers 3-0 in the first round at Mandava with Qadr Amini, Ashley Mukwena and Aaron Katebe scoring.

The miners were back at Mandava for the quarter-finals where they edged CAPS United 1-0 as Malawian defender George Nyirenda scored an own goal. Black Rhinos were the victims in the semi-finals after losing to a lone Walter Musona strike at Rufaro.

On their road to the final, Harare City beat ZPC Kariba 1-0 in the first round at Rimuka and then overcame Chiredzi 2-1 at Mandava in the quarter-finals.

Francesco Zekumbawira, William Manondo and Martin Vengesayi were on the scoresheet as Masimba Dinyero’s side beat Highlanders in the last four.

Early this year, Dinyero was an assistant coach at FC Platinum where he worked with former coach Lloyd Mutasa.