THE highly anticipated Midlands derby between FC Platinum and TelOne FC ended in a goalless draw, much to the disappointment of the fans at Mandava Stadium on Saturday.
The two teams had shared the spoils in their first-round encounter at TelOne FC’s home ground, Bata Stadium, and this match promised to be just as intense. And it didn’t take long for the action to begin.
Thandolwenkosi Ngwenya intercepted a stray pass by veteran defender Eriya Mafirenyika and had a golden opportunity to open the scoring. However, his execution was poor, and the chance went begging.
TelOne FC created three more scoring opportunities in the first 17 minutes, with Nkosiyabo Masilela coming closest with a counter-attack that saw his shot sail wide.
The next 10 minutes belonged to FC Platinum, who dominated possession but failed to capitalize on their chances. The best of these came in the 22nd minute when TelOne FC’s back four slipped up, but the home side couldn’t find the back of the net.
The halftime whistle blew with the score still deadlocked at 0-0.
TelOne FC made a double substitution after the break, introducing Marlvin Kwinjo and Washington Navaya for Lloyd Gwerina and Blessing Sahondo. Kwinjo almost broke the deadlock with a beautifully curled free kick that was inches wide of the crossbar.
National team midfielder Brian Banda then unleashed a powerful shot from the edge of the box, but it hit the crossbar, denying him a spectacular goal.
The score remained 0-0, and both teams continued to push for a winner. Masilela’s cross in the 76th minute was rebounded and Navaya’s attempt at goal hit the crossbar again.
Despite FC Platinum’s dominance in the latter stages, the score remained unchanged.
FC Platinum head coach Norman Mapeza felt the game was fair to both teams. “It was a good game of football because we had some decent chances, especially in the first half and second half as well. We had some good half-chances.”
Mapeza reflected on the season, lamenting the dropped points that ultimately cost them the title. “It was not easy for us throughout the season. There were some moments we could have done better, but we ended up dropping points. Look, I’m not going to take anything away from these guys because to finish second amongst teams like Ngezi, Manica Diamonds, and at some time getting up there is hard work.”
TelOne FC head coach Herbert Maruwa praised his team’s perseverance, which saw them rise from 17th to 10th place.
“The season is over, and we close it off with a draw. Overall, congrats go to the technical team, players, supporters, and everyone who rallied the team. It was a very difficult situation, but we managed to pull through. Also, I’m happy that we finished strongly and managed to finish in the top ten,” Maruwa said.
FC Platinum ended the season in second place, while TelOne FC finished 10th.
In other matches, Hwange suffered a 2-0 defeat at Wadzanayi Stadium, which condemned them to relegation. Bulawayo Chiefs, who took the lead through a Migoz Svinurayi penalty, were eventually beaten 2-1 by Gem Boyz, also sealing their fate in the top flight.
