FC PLATINUM gaffer Norman Mapeza has added his voice to the issue of poor match officiating in the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League.

Mapeza made these remarks as his side prepares to face Yadah this afternoon at the National Sport Stadium.

Addressing a Press conference in Zvishavane yesterday, Mapeza challenged referees to raise their standard for the sake of the country’s game.

“What worries me is the officiating. It’s not only me as a coach, but the majority of coaches. It’s not because we are playing Yadah or any other team, but match officials are my biggest worry now.

“I am not worried about losing, but let’s have good officiating. Let’s lose games because we have made mistakes not because of officiating, at least we can go back and work on that,” Mapeza said.

The Warriors coach last month said the standards of playing had gone down, with teams sacrificing style over substance.

Mapeza is wary of the Yadah match and has warned his charges to guard against complacency.

The platinum miners are walking with a bounce in their step following their 3-0 win over Caps United, but so are Yadah who have been enjoying a good run of late.

“The result (against Caps) is a massive boost for us on its own, but we have to know that Yadah have been doing well so we have to be aware.

“I have told my players to raise their game because the second half against Caps United was not as we planned.

“It’s important for us to endure and fight until the last whistle; otherwise it could turn out to be a challenge on its own.

“I am just hoping for a positive result. We are approaching the game with caution because we are playing away,” he said.

Yadah coach Genesis Mangombe declared that his side will stand toe-to-toe with the champions.

“FC Platinum is a good side. They have good players and also technically they are better than us, but that’s on paper on the field of play we are going to match them because we have been preparing for the game.

“If we create chances I pray for composure, a bit of maturity so that we can kill the game. We are going to push all who are here to represent us,” Mangombe said.

He wants to see his side move away from the danger zone.

“If we can win this game, it will help us move away from the red zone hence giving us confidence to the guys and in itself it’s a moral boost. So winning against big teams like FC Platinum is a plus to our team. It will help everyone in the team to have confidence that we can beat any team in the league,” he added.