FC Platinum have recalled striker William Manondo who was on loan to Gunners and could be part of the team that plays reigning champions Dynamos in a Castle Lager Premiership football match at Mandava Stadium on Saturday.
Manondo was sidelined by then coach Rahman Gumbo at the beginning of the season and was loaned to Harare side Gunners. The platinum miners’ secretary-general Philemon Muvengwa yesterday confirmed that Manondo, who had become a hit at Chando Kupisa, has been brought back to the club and registered for the second half of the season.
Muvengwa said Platinum had only re-registered two of their players Manondo and Benjamin Marere and acquired Hardlife Mavundi from Chicken Inn ahead of the closure of the transfer window today.
“We have reregistered Manondo and Marere in the transfer window together with Hardlife Mavundi from Chicken Inn. That is the only activity that we have had. We are ready for Dynamos come Saturday,” Muvengwa said.
Marere had also been dropped at the beginning of the season along with Norman Maroto, who has since joined Motor Action, and top goalscorer Nelson Mazivisa who was loaned to neighbours Shabanie Mine while Francis Kanda, Bhekimpilo Ncube and Brighton Dube also left. Platinum moved Ntokozo Tshuma to Chicken Inn for former Masvingo United player Mavundi.
Manondo returns to Platinum’s fold where he will have to fight for the jersey with Charles Sibanda and Donald Ngoma. Platinum, last year’s league runners-up, are on position seven on the log table and a win on Saturday will catapult them to the third spot.
However, they face DeMbare, who are determined to win their next two games and rise to the top of the standings, neck-on-neck with log leaders Highlanders.
Dynamos chairman Keni Mubaiwa yesterday said the Glamour Boys had only managed to secure Cliff Sekete from Gunners in the transfer window. De Mbare beat Caps United 1-0 on Saturday at Rufaro Stadium and Mubaiwa yesterday said they were on the right track to retaining the championship.
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“If you look at the log standings now, we sit on position four and if we win the next two games, we will be tied with Highlanders on 33 points and we are on the right course. These games, the draw against Highlanders and the win against Caps, the Platinum match on Saturday and the reverse fixture are the games that have a bearing and if we collect six points we are on the right track. Our aim is to retain the championship,” Mubaiwa said. He said they had hit a brick wall in trying to secure the services of top gunman Mazivisa and Kuda Musharu from Monomotapa.
Platinum have stated that Mazivisa, Allen Gahadzikwa and Ngoma will not join Dynamos.
Fixtures Saturday: (Week 15) FC Platinum vs Dynamos (Mandava) Week 16 Saturday: Chicken Inn vs Harare City (Luveve Stadium), Monomotapa vs Motor Action (Rufaro Stadium), Black Mambas vs Blue Rangers (Morris Depot Stadium) Sunday: Buffaloes vs Hardbody (Sakubva), Highlanders vs Quelaton (Barbourfields), Shabanie Mine vs Gunners (Maglas), Hwange vs Caps United (Colliery) Postponed: Dynamos vs FC Platinum (Rufaro)
