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Eddie Chikamhi Sports Reporter
HOLDERS Dynamos have vowed to remove neighbours Harare City out of the way when the teams clash tomorrow in the semi-finals of the Independence Cup at Rufaro.
The derby will signal the official kick off of the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League season as Highlanders and FC Platinum clash in another semi-final tie at Barbourfields.
The winners in the two matches are set to clash in the final on April 18.
Dynamos captain Murape Murape said the Harare giants were looking to progress to the final of the cup competition although he sounded cautious about the challenge they expect from City.
Murape said DeMbare were aiming for good performances in the Independence Cup to set the tone for the year in which they hope to retain their league title and the reclaim the Mbada Diamonds Cup.
DeMbare seem to have put the setback of their capitulation in the Champions League behind them and are hoping to build on their momentum following their victory over Highlanders to retain the pre-season Bob 90 Super Cup recently.
“Besides giving us the competitive practice that we need ahead of the new season, this game is very important in the sense that it will also afford us the platform to see how far we have gone in terms of progress with our preparations for the new season.
“The 2014 season looks to be a very gruelling campaign especially for us as the defending league champions and with all the tournaments that we are looking forward to see.
“I believe we have the depth and we are happy to play a team like Harare City in a competitive game like this just a week before the start of the league games. We respect them as a team and at the same time we would want to show our pedigree as the Zimbabwe champions.
“The guys in our team know that, as a rule of thumb, we always aim to win everything. We won the Independence Cup last year and we definitely want it again this year. We are a team that is hungry for success.
“We are not worried much about Harare City or how they have been preparing. We have to be ruthless at the end of the day although from the look of things it promises to be a very competitive game,” said Murape.
The veteran midfielder was on target when his solitary strike gave Dynamos the victory over Highlanders to win the Independence Cup last year. However, vice-captain Tawanda Muparati is still out nursing a knee injury and will miss tomorrow’’s match.
DeMbare have acquired new players like Masimba Mambare, Ronald Chitiyo, Walter Mukanga, Tafadzwa Rusike, Themba Ndlovu and Anesu Gondo and their coach Callisto Pasuwa will look to introduce a rotation system to give all the players game time.
But the Sunshine Boys were also active on the market, acquiring players such as former Hwange striker Francisco Zekumbawire, Takudzwa Chimwemwe, Tino Kadewere, Timire Mamvura, Misheck Mburayi, Mhleli Sibanda, Benson Maglasi and Arnold Chivheya.
Harare City coach Bigboy Mawiwi indicated he is eyeing an Independence Cup final place.
The Sunshine Boys are treating this match seriously and Mawiwi has indicated that he will select his best team for the day.
City featured in the Bob 90 Cup but lost to Highlanders in the semis last month and they hope to progress at the expense of the defending champions.
“We are excited to play the champions. We want to see how our team will fare against a team which was playing in the Champions League. We have been preparing during the pre-season and making some additions to the team and now it is the time to see how the team will perform.
“We are serious about this match and we really want to give it our best and reach the final.
“We lost to Highlanders in another Cup game this season but we have to do better play well and win,” he said.
Despite losing key player like Silas Songani who is now playing in Sweden, the club still has some good performers like Nathan Ziwini, Crispen Dickson, Martin Vengesai, David Kutyauripo, William Manondo and James Jam in their fold.
Mawiwi believes his players should have struck some good understanding by now following an intense the pre-season training in which they also had practice matches against lower division sides.
“I am going to field the strongest team as we want to gauge ourselves and how far have we gone. Our first league match is quite a challenging one, away against Chicken Inn, and we want to start the season on a good note and all the hard work begins now.
“We are building the team around youngsters and we are not afraid to use them whenever we play. The team is getting there they have been training together for some time now,” he said.
Online Reporter