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Lovemore Dube in MAHE ISLAND, Seychelles
HOW Mine believe the first 20 minutes of their clash with St Michel in a second leg of the first round of the Orange Caf Confederation Cup will be key at Stade Linite here this afternoon.The match kicks off at 2.30pm Zimbabwe time today.
How Mine carry a seemingly healthy 5-1 lead from the first leg and look confident to proceed to the next stage of the competition.
At yesterday’s two training sessions the Mbada Diamonds Cup runners-up worked on two aspects of the game which coach Philani “Beefy” Ncube said would be key to the result.
Apart from loosening in the morning after two days of not training, How Mine players worked on team shape in attack.
“It was more of loosening up and then working on team shape in attack. We need to keep that discipline as we venture forward so that we do not lose it for ourselves. After that we attended to team shape in defence,” said Ncube.
The How Mine coach, crowned PSL Coach of the Year in 2009, said they expected the hosts to come at them in the opening 20 minutes.
“They will come guns blazing at us in the opening 20 minutes. It is vital for us to starve them of possession and then try to catch them on the break.
“If we happen to score first we will have put them under a lot of pressure. We will have to starve them of space and hope to catch them on the break. We should not allow them to play the ball. An early goal by us if our game plan works will unsettle them a great deal,” said Ncube.
He said he would employ a 4-2-3-1 formation where Morrios Kadzola will be the right back.
“I did not use him last time because he had bad publicity on non-football issues. Bringing him on from the bench we felt it would work for us. Work it did as he went on to score one of the goals.”
On the left flank in defence, that position will be filled by Brighton Dube. Ncube said the former Highlanders and FC Platinum player would start because of his experience and maturity.
Dube was part of the Highlanders team that lost 2-0 to Aly Ahly in the 2007 Champions League.
Captain Gilbert Banda and Nyasha Mukumbi will be central defence partners with Menard Mupera, scorer of two goals so far in the tournament, anchoring with Blessing Sande.
Xolisani Moyo has come as an automatic choice for the right link slot.
“He has height. Those guys are tall and we expect him to add weight in both defence and attack. Thembani Masuku will be on the left with Edmore Muzanenhamo playing a more central position with Kuda Musharu leading our attack,” said the How Mine gaffer.
He said Ephraim Mazarura would be in between the goalposts ahead of Donovan Benard signed from Aces Academy at the beginning of the year this year.
Ncube said: “I have come up with a team that boasts mobility and experience. They are comfortable on the ball and can run box to box which is essential when you are away from home.
“Endurance is key and I have confidence in these guys.”
Ncube said the artificial surface at Stade Linite would not be an issue.
He said in Zanzibar, where they knocked out Chuoni FC three weeks ago, they played on one and back home they had played countless times at Rufaro.
Ncube had praises for his number one gun—slinger Musharu, scorer of five goals in three matches in the tournament.
“He is hungry for success. To have chosen Bulawayo ahead of Harare teams means he has a score to settle. He wants to prove so many people wrong,” said Ncube of the footballer who has played at Underhill, Motor Action and Monomotapa.
Musharu, scorer of eight goals last season, said hard work and teamwork had contributed immensely to his goal-scoring form.
“We are playing as a team. I am working hard too and that is the reason why I am scoring. I hope to score more goals. The guys I am playing with are very creative and play for each other,” said Musharu.
St Michel president Bernard Toulon said his team was banking on home advantage. He said the climate favoured How Mine who were coming from a higher altitude.
“Your team is coming from higher altitude. They will breathe purer oxygen and that will have an effect on us who are at sea level. We struggled with breathing in the 5-1 loss in Zimbabwe,” said the St Michel official.
Despite the heavy defeat in Bulawayo last week, Toulon said they would give the match a fight and make How Mine sweat for their victory.
He said they were expecting good performances from their Madagascar internationals Nelson Lorange, Alli and Joslyn scorer of their only goal in the first leg.
Online Reporter