FC Platinum Coach Mapeza Wants More Goals

FC Platinum coach Norman Mapeza has urged his players to score as many goals as possible against ASC Jafaar on Sunday.

Mapeza is keen to land an African Confederation Cup playoff first leg win by beating the Senegalese side, who eliminated Ivorian outfit FC San Pedro in the first round of the competition.

“We know the challenges we are going to face on Sunday, but the message has been the same; we need to maximise on home advantage. We need goals, this tournament is all about goals and we really need to score as many goals as we can,” the coach said.

Platinum dropped to the second-tier competition after losing 5-1 on aggregate to Tanzanian side Simba SC in the second preliminary round of the Champions League.

The Zimbabwean champions suffered a humiliating 4-0 defeat against the East African giants in the second leg match in Dar es Salaam, having won by a solitary goal in the first leg at home.

“You never know what might happen when we go to Senegal. We learnt a cruel lesson against Simba SC. We saw what happened, but it’s now water under the bridge. Sunday, like I said, is all about goals,” Mapeza added.

The two teams will meet for the first time in history in the Harare clash, with the return leg scheduled for February 21 in Dakar.

The aggregate winner will proceed to the mini-league stage whose matches will come thick and fast from March 10 to April 28.