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Ricky Zililo Senior Sports Reporter
ZIMBABWE’S representatives in the Caf clubs’ competitions Dynamos and How Mine are confident of beating their opponents and sail through to the next round with ease.
Dynamos are participating in the Orange Caf Champions League and carry a 3-0 lead for the second leg of their preliminary clash against Mochudi Centre Chiefs in Botswana on Sunday. DeMbare leave for Gaborone by road today.
Gold miners How Mine were expected to jet out of the country at 2AM this morning for Zanzibar to finish off Chuoni FC whom they clobbered 4-0 in the first leg.
How Mine held a light training session in Harare yesterday with captain Menard Mupera confident of clinching victory in East Africa.
“Morale is high in camp and there are a number of guys who have never travelled in an aeroplane or played in continental football who are excited about this trip and would love to do it again. So, for them to travel by air a lot, it means that we have to defend this lead and qualify to the next stage in style by winning away. Victory away is possible, with the right attitude and hard work, we are going to beat Chuoni FC,” said Mupera.
In the first leg played at Barbourfields Stadium on Saturday, How Mine got their goals through a brace from new signing Kuda Musharu with the skipper Mupera and Warren Dube also finding the back of the net.
Should How Mine clear the Zanzibar hurdle, they will face the winner of St Michel of the Seychelles or Madagascar’s ASSM Elgeco Plus.
St Michel go into the second leg carrying a 2-1 lead over their opponents.
How Mine coach Philani “Beefy” Ncube retained the squad that won the first leg but might opt to use veteran Hebert Dick who sat on the bench during the weekend victory, because of his experience.
Dick can partner George Magariro in central defence with Nyasha Mukumbi playing as a leftback while Morris Kadzola occupies the rightback position.
Mupera and Xolisani “Scara” Moyo can be used as twin anchormen, with Dube, Timothy January and Edmore Muzanhenhamo completing the midfield while Kuda Musharu will be a lone striker.
Meanwhile, DeMbare captain Tawanda Muparati is wary of Mochudi Centre Chiefs and says they will not sit on their laurels as they want nothing short of a victory.
At the National Sports Stadium Dynamos got their goals from Washington Phakamisa who scored a brace and Masimba Mambare made a perfect debut adding his name on the scoresheet.
“Everyone has been working hard with the main aim being to go there and finish off the job. I am happy we had an encouraging start with that win which happens to be healthy but we should also try to score there and increase the scoreline. We need a positive mentality and we want another win but I am sure since they are going to be at home, they will be a hard nut to crack.
“They have some good players in their team and they have been playing together continuously in their league which is now in its second half of the season but we can also match them because we also have a number of players that were training throughout the holiday,” said Muparati.
In their last visit to Botswana then under Elvis “Chuchu” Chiweshe in 2010 DeMbare lost 1-0 to Gaborone United in the same competition and managed to pull through to the next stage thanks to their 4-1 win at the National Sports Stadium in the first leg.
Dynamos have eight players — goalkeeper George Chigova, Partson Jaure, Augustine Mbara, Themba Ndlovu, Masimba Mambare, Muparati, Simba Sithole and Oscar Machapa who were involved in the Chan tournament and are capable of matching Mochudi Centre Chiefs’ fitness levels.
DeMbare will have their lunch in Bulawayo and their chairman Kenny Mubaiwa appealed to their supporters to come in numbers and cheer the team on.
“Gaborone is almost 1,000km from Harare and we are hoping that our multitude of fans in Bulawayo who are halfway will travel to Botswana. We know that there are a lot of Dynamos supporters in Botswana and what we are asking for is that our followers who can make it to Gaborone must come in their numbers and create an intimidating environment for our hosts,” said Mubaiwa.
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