FC PLATINUM skipper Petros Mhari has rallied his teammates to focus on avoiding conceding at home as they look to begin their CAF Champions League first round tie against Tanzanian giants Simba SC on a positive footing at the National Sports Stadium this afternoon.

The match, which kicks off at 3pm behind closed doors, will be broadcast live on ZBC Television.

Mhari, who is one of the most experienced players in the Zimbabwean side, yesterday said they do not expect to leave anything to chance.

The platinum miners are mindful of the strength of their opponents, who reached the quarter-finals of the same competition two years ago, and are aiming for a clean sheet ahead of the second leg set for the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam on January 6.

“Of course we know one or two things about Simba from watching them play in the Tanzanian league and also in these interclub competitions,” said Mhari.

“But since we are starting at home, we just need to make sure that we get a positive result out of this match. In fact, it would be best if we avoid conceding goals at home because these goals have the tendency of coming back to haunt you in the second leg.

“Football is just a game played over 90 minutes. We need to execute our game-plan well and make sure that we maintain maximum concentration the entire match,” Mhari said.

FC Platinum have reached the group stages in their last two consecutive campaigns and the target for this year is to go beyond the last 16 for the first time.

However, they face a tall order considering they are coming from a background of complete lockdown which saw football being cancelled this year while their opponents have been playing continuously.

FC Platinum had not played a competitive match since February 2020 but they still had it in them to beat Costa do Sol of Mozambique, home and away, in the preliminary round.

Mhari and his teammates are looking to build on the momentum to get their campaign going.-Chronicle