Even without the injured Donald Ngoma, there was no pressure on the hosts as Joel Ngodzo gave them the insurance goal as early as the seventh minute before Sibanda’s double in the 29 and 45th minute.Allan Gahadzikwa was also on target in the 37th minute to give FC Platinum an emphatic 8-2 aggregate victory after a 4-2 away victory two weeks ago.Green Mamba coach Lloyd Mutasa, who replaced Francis Banda after the first leg in Mbabane, made three changes to the team bringing in former Dynamos goalkeeper Zondai Nyaungwa, former Njube Sundown midfielder Stanford Ncube and Welile Maseko in a bid to get an early goal.But it was Ngodzo who settled the FC Platinum nerves first with a fine grounder in the seventh minute after Sibanda had played the ball in the box.Gahadzikwa was then set up by Sibanda in the 26th minute, but he skied his effort before the dreadlocked former Motor Action striker showed him how to finish off three minutes later.Left back Quadr Amini played Ali Sadiki to the left and his former Gunners teammate brought in a long cross that Sibanda left footed into the nets leaving Nyaungwa stranded.Gahadzikwa then made amends beating Nyaungwa and fired the ball into the net from a tight angle in the 37th minute. Sibanda then completed his double in style in the 45th minute going airborne to acrobatically connect a Michelle Katsvairo cross to make it 4-0.The second half was basically damage limitation for Mutasa although his side managed to get two chances in the 77th and 79th minute which they failed to convert.Musa Dhlamini hit the cross bar with Platinum goalkeeper Tafadzwa Dube a beaten man before Maseko scooped the ball wide in a face-to-face situation with the goalkeeper. FC Platinum will now meet Sudanese giants El Merreikh, a fierce rival of Edward Sadomba’s Al Hilal.The first leg of the tie will be played on March 23, 24 and 25 at Mandava while the return leg is set for April 6,7 and 8 away in Sudan. FC Platinum coach Rahman Gumbo hopes that chief striker Donald Ngoma will be back to action by then as he missed yesterday’s encounter.
FC Platinum through
Sport
By The Standard | Mar. 4, 2012
Chevrons win African Games gold
Swimmer Denilson Cyprianos won the country’s first gold medal in the Men’s 200m Backstroke at the African Games exactly two weeks ago.
Sport
Mar. 24, 2024
I'm Back — Macauley Bonne relishes Warriors return
Bonne is part of the team which is currently taking part in the four nations’ tournament involving hosts Malawi, Zambia and Kenya.
Sport
Mar. 24, 2024
Social soccer teams partner Men’s Clinic in new prostate cancer fight
This year’s competition kicks off today at St Georges College and will see eight teams compete for top honours.
Sport
Mar. 24, 2024
Does the Normalisation Committee deserve term extension?
As the drastic flip flop went beyond estimations, the SRC saw it fit and jumped in to suspend a Zifa leadership headed by company executive Felton Kamambo.
Sport
Mar. 24, 2024
Premium
Mnangagwa’s choice of best performing ministers raises eyebrows amid disasters
News
Mar. 24, 2024