FC Platinum coach Norman Mapeza is unfazed by his team’s exit from the group stages of the African champions league without a win.

The Zimbabwean champions lost 2-1 to holders and group leaders Esperance who had the luxury of bringing in a depleted team with only three infield substitutes and a goalkeeper for the match, resting most of the senior players.

“When we got into the champions league, the objective of the club and myself was not to compete with anyone. We had set our objectives which were to do well,” said Mapeza.

“We are not worried about the statistics because that was not our goal. Ours was to learn and after the game, I was telling the players that this is how football is played in Africa.”

FC Platinum finished the campaign with just two points from two draws against Orlando Pirates, the worst record by any Zimbabwe team that participated in the group stages of the continental competition. They will be back in the African safari in August when the 2019/20 campaign starts.