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Tadious Manyepo, Sports Reporter
HERENTALS coach Paul Benza says his boys are out to build solid momentum in the second half of the season, especially after refreshing his squad in the current mid-season transfer window.
The Students have added five players with appreciable Premiership experience, including one who has been playing in the South African lower league side.
While they have been fairly solid at the back, Herentals have been found wanting in front of goal, with midfielder Godfrey Mukambi their top goal scorer with three goals.
Benza has sought to address the flaws by bringing in one of the most feared strikers in the league, Grey Kufandada, who has been playing for bottom-of-the-log side Arenel Movers.
The former Harare City centre-forward is joined in the newcomers’ roll-call by ex-Bikita Minerals roving right-back Blessing Kagudu, big goalkeeper Nedrick Madeya who is coming from GreenFuel as well as midfielders Kudzai Sangare and Melvin Mekiwa.
All but one have already been cleared and they are ready to don the pink Herentals strip when they face CAPS United in match-day 19 of the Premiership at Rufaro on Sunday.
Mekiwa was part of the team that beat Bikita Minerals 1-0 last week and he will be looking to cement his place in the club while the other four will be looking to get it on against the Green Machine.
“As a coach, I am very happy with how these new players we have at the team are carrying themselves. They are adapting well and they are also showing a lot of zeal and willpower,” said Benza.
“We will be playing against CAPS United and we know that they are a big team that is capable of beating anyone in the league. The match is going to be tough but we are out to compete with them.
“We will throw in our newcomers of course depending on where we see it fit. But we brought them here to add depth to the squad and that makes it very healthy for us as a team.
“The aim is to do better than we were doing in the first half of the season. We know, of course, that the match will be tough but we will throw everything into it.”
Sangare’s papers were outstanding by yesterday, but club secretary general Fainos Madhumbu said his reverse international clearance was almost done.
“The papers for four of the five players are in order and the players are already available for selection,” said Madhumbu.
“Sangare needs a reverse international clearance and I can confirm that we are working on it and by the end of the day (yesterday), everything should be in order. Mekiwa has already played one game for us.
The Students opened their second phase of the marathon with a 1-0 win away to Bikita Minerals last weekend and they feel they can build from that going deeper into the second period.
The new players will ease pressure on a team dogged by injuries to key players including Prince Chama and Tafadzwa Jim who are both in rehab.
Meanwhile, striker Tino Benza will return to the country from England where he has been on attachment with an unnamed academy.
Tino has been away for the past three weeks and he said he has learnt a lot from the expedition.
The two-time PSL Fans’ Choice Player of the Year said he will be looking to reach double figures by the end of the season.
He has so far scored once and provided five assists.
Online Reporter