HARARE – FC Platinum gaffer Heindrikus Pieter De Jongh is worried that his maiden flirtation with the Zimbabwe Champions in the CAF Champions League could be disastrous due to lack of adequate preparation.
The continental football board revealed dates for the tournament with the preliminary round slated for November after a coronavirus-induced delay. The draw is yet to be conducted.
The preliminary stage will run from 20 to 29 November and will be concluded between 11 to 20 December.
The group stages will follow between 12 and 12 April while the quarter finals have been for 14 to 23 May.
The semi-finals will be played from 18 June and 27 June, with the final slated for 17 July.
With the platinum miners having been inactive for seven months running, De Jongh is feeling the pressure, that he might fail meet expectations after being brought on board to turn around the club’s fortunes on the continental arena.
They lasted in January, where they took on Chapungu and Triangle in friendly matches before they won the Castle Challenge Cup after beating Highlanders in the same month.
Speaking to ZimLive, De Jongh said: “I don’t know when we will be told to start training or even when the league resumes. We are in a tight spot because November is not very far which means whatever decision must been taken as soon as possible. It’s more than a technical challenge, because this is a big competition.”
