FC PLATINUM coach Norman Mapeza is increasingly concerned by the number of draws his team has accumulated, despite reaching the halfway stage of the season unbeaten.
The Zvishavane-based side remains the only club in the league to complete their first-round matches without a defeat.
However, their Match 17 encounter against Dynamos was prematurely ended after the latter protested a penalty decision, with the outcome now awaiting the Premier Soccer League Disciplinary Committee's ruling.
At the halfway point of the league marathon, Mapeza's charges sit in sixth place on the log standings with 24 points from 16 matches.
This tally comes from a mere four wins and a significant 12 draws.
Mapeza expressed his inability to celebrate the unbeaten streak, given the prevalence of draws in his assessment of the first half of the season.
"It was okay, but if you look at it, if you do your mathematics properly, we have got so many draws. Of course, we haven't been beaten, but I can't be happy to get so many draws at the end of the day. I think maybe if you change three or four games from those draws to wins, maybe it could be something. But that's football at the end of the day," Mapeza lamented.
The team has the most draws in the Division at this stage, followed by GreenFuel, who have 10, while ZPC Kariba have nine.
- FC Platinum reach Chibuku Cup last eight
- Inside sport: The right way to do it
- FC Platinum 8 points clear as Chicken Inn falters again
- FC Platinum move six points clear
Keep Reading
FC Platinum currently trail log leaders Simba Bhora by 11 points. Simba Bhora have accumulated 35 points, though they have played one more game.
Mapeza has embarked on a rebuilding phase this year, bringing in numerous new players to forge a team capable of challenging for the title once more.
While he is looking to add a few more players, Mapeza insists that the influx of new faces is not an excuse for the team's failure to convert draws into wins.
"Yeah, we might need one or two players. I know the department where we need some reinforcement, but I'll talk about it later. But we might need two or three players," he stated.
"It's a painful journey because the problem is that we've been in this situation, but who's going to understand it? People want the results. They won't understand that we've got six or five guys who still have to understand the culture of this club. We want results. I also want results. So, if you're in football, if there are no results, you're out," he added, highlighting the pressure to perform.
FC Platinum have been a dominant force in Zimbabwean football over the past decade, securing four league titles and a Chibuku Cup.
However, their last league triumph was in 2022.
