FC Platinum coach Joel Luphahla says Wednesday's Castle Lager Premier Soccer League clash against Dynamos presents his side with the perfect opportunity to restore Mandava Stadium's status as a fortress after an extended run without a home victory.
The miners go into the Matchday 24 encounter under pressure, having failed to win any of their last five home league matches, while Dynamos arrive in Zvishavane sitting third on the table with 41 points. FC Platinum are ninth with 31 points following their recent away victory over Bulawayo Chiefs.
Luphahla admitted the team's home form has frustrated both the players and supporters, making the visit of the Glamour Boys even more significant.
"It's a very important game for us because we are playing at home. We haven't won at home for a long time now, and I think it ends up giving our fans a little bit of doubt," said Luphahla.
"We need everybody to come and support us. We are where we are now because of the support that we're getting from our fans."
The former Simba Bhora coach said Dynamos' history and stature make every meeting a major occasion, regardless of the teams' positions on the league table.
"Dynamos are the most successful club in the country. It doesn't matter where they are on the log, whether they are on top or at the bottom. When you're playing Dynamos, it's always a big game."
He, however, believes his players have taken confidence from their victory over Bulawayo Chiefs and are ready to build on that result.
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"We have the confidence that we can play good football. We went away to Bulawayo Chiefs and got a good result there, and we are hoping that, after that good result, we can step up, come back home and win again so that we give our fans something to smile about."
Luphahla also backed new signing Isaskar Gurirab to boost FC Platinum's attacking threat after the Namibian striker scored on his first start for the club.
"We brought Isaskar Gurirab for a reason because it's somebody that I've worked with before. He's a striker that we've been lacking. Even in the first game against Highlanders, you could see the qualities that he has."
The FC Platinum coach dismissed suggestions that his side has been playing poorly at home, insisting the problem has been converting chances.
"I don't agree that we haven't been playing well. Yes, we haven't been winning, but we've been dominating teams that come here. We've always said that dominating is not the same as winning games. We need to put the ball in the back of the net."
He added that Gurirab and fellow new arrival Mashore should lift confidence within the squad but stressed there would be no excuses if FC Platinum fail to deliver.
"At the end of the day, we need to win. We are playing at home. We've got no excuses.
"Dynamos know that it's not going to be easy. We want to make sure that we turn Mandava into a fortress, and we are going to give everything we have to make sure that we stay here with the three points that we need."
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