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PAINED by losing Perfect Chikwende to Simba SC, Zimbabwean football champions FC Platinum are moving swiftly to bring in more firepower to bolster their squad.

The Zimbabwe champions are set to add three more strikers in anticipation of a bruising battle against Senegalese outfit ASC Jaraaf in the Confederations Cup play-offs.

The Norman Mapeza-coached side are will take on the Senegalese next month where they will hope to redeem themselves after being given a reality check of the brutal nature of continental club competition when they lost to Tanzania’s Simba SC.

Simba SC added salt injury when they went onto to snap up FC Platinum’s attacking midfielder Chikwende.

Mapeza has already began his search for a replacement and has signed former Baroka FC attacking midfielder Rodwell Chinyengetere.

Chinyengetere is not new to the FC Platinum dressing room having spent three seasons at the club, from 2016 to January 2019, before joining Baroka.

At that time, he helped them win two league titles, while also winning the Zimbabwean Soccer Star of the Year award in 2017 and 2018.

He comes with a wealth of experience and could be a perfect pick to replace Chikwende who had become the club’s veritable goal-scorer in the continental club competition.

The platinum miners have also opened negotiations with Zambia’s Buildcon attacker Donald Teguru who has been a part of their wishlist since last season.

Former Maritzburg United full back Blessing Moyo has also been given a new lease of life by Mapeza following his departure from South Africa’s National First Division outfit Real Kings.

On the other hand, CAPS United attacking midfielder Innocent Mucheneka is concluding negotiations with the Zimbabwean champions.

Meanwhile, the tug-of-war over Chikwende is far from over as Bulawayo Chiefs are now demanding an audience with FC Platinum to clear out differences with regards to Chikwende’s move to the Tanzanian side.

Chikwende signed a two-year contract with the Simba SC a fortnight ago. However, he is yet to get an international clearance after his former club Bulawayo Chiefs wrote to the Zimbabwe Football Association to halt the process arguing that FC Platinum should compensate them since he (Chikwende) was on-loan to the Zvishavane based side.

Chikwende had been loaned to FC Platinum for the 2019 and 2020 soccer season, but due to the Covid-19 induced lockdown, ZIFA issued guidelines clarifying that contracts that were due to expire in 2020 should continue into 2021.

That has given Bulawayo Chiefs the leverage to demand a share of the pie for Chikwende’s move. – Panafricanfootball.com