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Harare Bureau
DYNAMOS vice-captain Tawanda Muparati believes his team will need to raise their game a gear up when they clash with Mochudi Centre Chiefs in the return leg of the Champions League preliminary round tie at the University of Botswana Stadium this Sunday.The Harare giants kicked off their continental campaign with a morale-boosting 3-0 win at the National Sports Stadium over the weekend courtesy of a brace from Washington Pakamisa and another strike by Masimba Mambare.
DeMbare are scheduled to leave early morning tomorrow by road for the second leg in Gaborone. Muparati told our Correspondent that Dynamos will not be flattered into complacency by the apparently comfortable lead as they realise the mission is not yet complete.
“The main aim is to go there and finish off the job that we started here. I am glad we had an encouraging start with that win. We need a positive mentality and we want another win but I am not sure if it’s going to be a stroll in the park.
“I think most of you watched the match on Sunday and Chiefs showed that they are not a bad side. 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.
“Now it’s advantage to them because they are the home team. We should expect an even tougher outing,” said Muparati.
The last time Dynamos visited Botswana in 2010 under Elvis Chiweshe they found the going tough as they lost 1-0 to Gaborone United in the same competition and only managed to pull through to the next stage thanks to their 4-1 win at the National Sports Stadium in the first leg.
Muparati said DeMbare will not make the mistake to underrate their Botswana opponents despite the fact that their domestic football is regarded comparatively lower to Zimbabwe’s.
DeMbare, who conducted a light training session on Monday, will resume their preparations this morning after giving the players time off yesterday. The technical side felt the players needed to recover from the effects of Sunday’s game, which was played under difficult wet conditions.
This was Dynamos’ first game of the season and they featured two new boys Ronald Chitiyo and goal scorer Mambare. The duo made positive contributions in their debuts and might earn their places again for the return leg, barring injuries.
Team manager Richard Chihoro said striker Simba Sithole and newboy Tafadzwa Rusike who missed the first match due to knocks are still being assessed by the medical team.
The Glamour Boys coach Callisto Pasuwa should finalise his traveling squad by end of day. DeMbare’s performance especially in the first half was not convincing, probably because of the long off-season lay-off.
But they frequented the Chiefs’ goal area more and were wasteful in front of goal as compared to their rivals who only managed one shot on target.
Pasuwa and his charges will also need to turn a new leaf in away assignments as he seeks his first away win in continental assignments since he took over in 2011.
Meanwhile, Dynamos have appointed former treasurer Moses Chikwariro to spearhead their supporters’ membership drive. Chikwariro chairs a four-member committee appointed by the board in November.
They will get their membership drive into gear this week when they lead a group of supporters to Botswana to cheer on the team against Mochudi Centre Chiefs.
The supporters have received two 60-seater buses from Nyaradzo Group. Chikwariro said supporters who wish to travel on the buses should be registered by their committee.
“The buses leave on Saturday morning and return soon after the match. We have got limited places for this trip so we are saying only registered supporters will get on the buses. Registration is taking place in all cities and towns. Membership fee for general membership is US$7 for the whole year but, in this case, an extra US$5 will be charged for the traveling fee.
“We will enter into the second phase of registration later on when we shall introduce other categories as silver and gold. The purpose of this drive is to have an official register of the club’s supporters. Dynamos has many supporters and we are beginning this process to register them so that the club gets positive benefits from its support base,” said Chikwariro.
Online Reporter