FC Platinum qualifies for Uhuru cup finals

FC Platinum 3 - 1 Hwange
FC Platinum turned on the style to dismiss a weakened Hwange at Mandava yesterday, and book a date against Motor Action in the Independence Cup final on Wednesday.

They are now on course to win their second piece of silverware after capturing the Bob 88 Super Cup following a victory over Hwange.

Yesterday's match was an ill-tempered affair as Hwange had their coach sent to the stands after protesting against the goal scored by Charles Sibanda in the 12th minute.

The coal-miners protested furiously claiming that the goal had been scored from an offside position.

Play had to be stopped for 16 minutes after Hwange players walked off the pitch in protest.

It took the intervention of Hwange Colliery managing director, Fred Moyo, who ordered the players back on the pitch, for the game to continue.

Tempers had flared before the match with the match commissioner, Martin Chiduku, arriving 10 minutes late and plunging into a dispute centred on the Hwange licences.

The coal-miners produced the Caf licences they used for their match in Sudan, which the match officials rejected, insisting that Hwange should produce licences issued by the PSL.

Bulawayo referee, Happy Mabhena, insisted that the match would not go-ahead and it took the intervention of a Zifa official for sanity to be restored.

Hwange had earlier questioned why the match should be played at Mandava instead of Barbourfields as earlier indicated.

FC Platinum surged ahead through Sibanda, who slotted home a rebound after goalkeeper Petros Mhari failed to hold cleanly a shot from Norman Togara. Allan Gahadzikwa increased the tally when his header from Ali Sadiki's cross beat Mhari in the 31st minute.

Hwange found their range and pulled one back through midfielder Malvern Longwe in the 33rd minute.

Tongai Mamina, who was full of running the whole afternoon, got the better of FC Platinum left-back Qadr Amin on the right and sent in a cross for Longwe, who was lurking in the box, and he easily beat Tafadzwa Dube.

Hwange then paid dearly when Mitchell Katsvairo, who has developed a knack of scoring goals against the coal-miners, finished off a Joel Ngodzo pass.

Ngodzo won possession and raced towards the Hwange area, cleverly scooped the ball to Katsvairo who finished with aplomb.

Hwange then missed another good chance when Longwe was sent through by the forceful Francisco Zekumbawire but, with Dube at his mercy, he blasted high and wide.

Former Dynamos player, Farai Vimisayi, was the next to miss a good chance when the forceful Zekumbawire won possession and picked him with a fine pass but the experienced forward shot weakly at Dube.

A few minutes after the breather Hwange, who were dangerous going forward and enjoyed the support of the Dynamos and Shabanie Mine fans, got another good chance but Mamina reacted slowly to a pass from captain Rodwell Chinyengetere.

Hwange had a hectic travel arrangement as the team arrived from Sudan on Tuesday and travelled to Bulawayo on Wednesday before travelling to Zvishavane yesterday.

They had initially thought the match would be played in Bulawayo.

The team is on the road this morning back to Hwange and they have only a day to prepare for their clash against FC Platinum at the Colliery and the teams will be meeting for the third time this season.

Yesterday, the cheapest tickets were selling at US$4, which kept the fans away. The charges were later reduced to US$3 but, by then, the majority of fans were home.

Teams
FC Platinum: T Dube,D Veremu,Q Amin(K Banda 81st),R Nenzou,A Sadiki,N Togara,C Sibanda,J Ngodzo,G Banda,A Gahadzikwa(W Ndiweni 72nd),M Katsvairo(T Kamusoko 85th)
Hwange: P Mhari,E Chipeta,M Mungadze,G Ndlovu,A Katede,W Mhango,M Longwe,F Vimisayi,T Mamina(A Tavarwisa 72nd),D Kamunenga, R Chinyengetere 46th), F Zekumbawire.