FC Platinum coach Thabo Senong has called for greater attacking sharpness from his side when they face ZPC Kariba at Mandava Stadium on Saturday, September 19, with the Zvishavane side entering the final six games of the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League season.
FC Platinum are currently 10th on the league table with 36 points from 28 matches, and Senong knows that a strong finish will require his players to improve their efficiency in front of goal.
The Platinum miners secured a 1-0 victory over ZPC Kariba in the reverse fixture at Nyamhunga Stadium earlier in the season, but Senong expects another difficult encounter against a side he describes as tactically unpredictable.
“We really had to take care of some physical and tactical elements of the players individually and collectively. We had a test match in between, and we are really hoping for a good performance against Kariba,” said Senong.
The South African coach identified FC Platinum's play in the final third as an area that needs significant improvement as they look to collect maximum points from their remaining fixtures.
“Winning football matches is about scoring goals, so our final third play has been a challenge. It needs to get better. Our movements in the final third, our communication and our execution in the final third need to improve if we want to get maximum points out of every game going forward,” he said.
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Senong expects ZPC Kariba to make the match a physical contest, pointing to their approach of competing strongly in duels, delivering crosses and defending in numbers.
“ZPC Kariba are a very unpredictable team tactically because winning physical duels, putting in crosses and defending in numbers is part of their game identity. So we do expect a very tough battle. We need maximum concentration in order to overcome the challenges that they will bring,” he said.
With only six matches left in the campaign, Senong stressed the importance of getting a positive result at home and appealed to FC Platinum supporters to turn out in numbers at Mandava.
“We need a positive result, especially at Mandava Stadium. It's going to be very tough, but I believe in the character of our players. I believe in the quality of our work. So we have to make sure that we perform better and we can be able to get a positive result,” he said.
FC Platinum will be hoping to repeat their first-round result against ZPC Kariba and build momentum for the closing stages of the season.
Senong also urged the club's supporters to rally behind the team as FC Platinum enter the decisive final stretch of the campaign.
“We wish and hope that our supporters can come in numbers to support the players, and we promise to work hard collectively while hoping for a positive result against the very tough ZPC Kariba.”
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