Veronica Gwaze — Castle Lager Premier Soccer League former champions FC Platinum make their way to the capital today on a mission to please their 12th man.
The Zvishavane-based side will be hoping to extend their winning streak to four games in a row and charm their fans, when they face Yadah Stars at the Heart Stadium tomorrow.
In their last three outings, FC Platinum overpowered GreenFuel 1-0 at Zvishavane before travelling to Bulawayo, where they won 2-0 against Highlanders.
At the weekend, head coach Norman Mapeza also led his team to a resounding 2-0 victory against struggling Hwange at Mandava.
This extended their stay on position two on the log table with 24 points, only one behind leaders Manica Diamonds.
Tomorrow, they troop into the Heart Stadium, knowing that their 90-minute battle against the "Miracle Boys" is largely dedicated to their fans back home, who will be following the match on Zimpapers Television Network.
"We have quite a decent run, the boys have done well but above all, we appreciate what our fans have been doing for us and in return, we would want to make them happy because it is the noble thing to do," said Mapeza.
"Making them happy is our main objective, tomorrow we walk on the pitch with that in mind but we know that sometimes things do not go our way.
"Last week and the period before that, they have given us a lot in terms of psychological and moral support even when chips were down.
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"The mission is to bring our best form and make them happy because we wish to see them continue supporting us.
"I am sure the players will also give 100 percent commitment because we need the 12th man, they play a big part in our marathon."
Yadah who are fresh from a 2-0 victory away to Arenel Movers, currently sit on position 13 on the log standings with an equal number of points.
Despite some injuries in his camp, Mapeza believes his team have what it takes to continue with their winning streak.
"Winning always brings a lot of confidence and tomorrow I would want to see them bring the same vibe and passion that they have been showing in training . . . and that way everything will be okay for us," added Mapeza.
"We just trained for two days, the first one was a recovery session.
"There is nothing that we can do other than following the fixtures although we would have wanted more time for the boys to rest and train without pressure."
Mapeza will still be without combative Defender Mbongeni Ndlovu, who suffered a concussion when they lost to Manica Diamonds weeks ago.
"We still have injuries haunting us, Mbongeni is yet to be back after he had a concoction the last time that we played in Mutare so he is undergoing assessments by the doctors as they monitor his recovery.
"We also have other players who are limping and again we are waiting for the doctors' reports today so that we know the exact situation but generally the other boys have been preparing well.
"Fighting for maximum points whenever we can, is our plan so that we avert pressure in the final lap of the PSL campaign."
