BY TERRY MADYAUTA
FC PLATINUM coach Hendrikus Pieter de Jongh says he intends to sharpen his attacking department by adding three strikers in the coming few days with TelOne sharp shooter King Nadolo heavily tipped to join the club.
The Dutchman is on the hunt for lethal forwards after a poor performance in the Caf Champions League campaign where they finished bottom of their group with one point and two goals.
While the Zvishavane-based team has been dominant in the local league, it has been badly exposed in the Champions League, where it failed to go beyond the group stage in the last two campaigns.
Their latest campaign was the most disappointing, having managed to find the nets just twice in six matches.
Strikers Perfect Chikwende, Albert Eonde, Gift Mbweti and Lameck Nhamo were virtually in no show throughout the entire campaign for FC Platinum, and contributed zero goals between them.
The Dutchman, who was in charge of the team’s last two group matches, has red-flagged the forward department as the area that needs urgent reconstruction if the team is to entertain any hopes of making an impact in the Africa safari.
“In the next 10 days, we will have three new players as we prepare for the league. We stay in Zimbabwe so will take the quality available here,” de Jongh said.
He refused to reveal the names of his targets perhaps for fear of jeopardising the negotiations, but stressed that they were targeting locals.
Sources close to the camp revealed that Nadolo was high on the team’s wish list.
Nadolo made an instant impact after joining relegated TelOne midway in the season last year, scoring 12 goals, which were, however, not enough to save the team.
His performance was enough though for him to be voted as one of the eleven finalists for the Soccer Star of the Year award.
Inevitably, a number of league teams are tracking the forward, who has said he will not go down with TelOne.
FC Platinum have already signed former Triangle captain Ralph Kawondera who was, however, not eligible to play for them in the Champions League.
But other new arrivals Stanley Ngala, Last Jesi and Nomore Chinyerere featured for the club.
Former Highlanders star Denzel Khumalo, Donald Dzvinyai and Godswill Gwara have also joined FC Platinum who are preparing to defend the league title.
They will also play in this year’s Caf Champions League which begins in August.
