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Ricky Zililo Sports Reporter
GOLD miners How Mine FC will maintain the squad that beat Zanzibar’s Chuoni FC 4-0 in the first leg of the Orange Caf Confederation Cup preliminary round for their return tie.Zimbabwe’s representatives in the continental competition carry a seemingly healthy lead going for the return leg and should they clear the Zanzibar hurdle, they face the winner of the Islanders battle between St Michel of Seychelles and Madagascar’s ASSM Elgeco Plus.
St Michel go into the second leg carrying a 2-1 lead over their opponents. In an interview after yesterday’s training session, How Mine coach Philani “Beefy” Ncube said they are going to East Africa with an offensive side.
“The lead that we have might look healthy but we will not sit on our laurels as we intend to attack. I want more goals in Zanzibar and I know it will not be easy because they might use some of the players that they reserved for the return leg but we are ready for them. We will take the same squad that won on Saturday.
“The other thing that will determine our style of play is the state of the pitch,” Ncube said.
Chikurupati as How Mine are known, got their goals through a brace from new signing Kuda Musharu with the captain of the day Menard Mupera and Warren Dube also finding the back of the nets.
Though going for the kill, Ncube might decide to give Herbert Dick a start in Zanzibar partnering either George Magariro or Nyasha Mukumbi in central defence.
Dreadlocked Gilbert Banda who missed the weekend victory because he is waiting for a new passport misses out on the trip to Zanzibar.
How Mine leave the country tomorrow for East Africa and Ncube expects a hostile reception.
“From the contacts that I have, I heard that teams which lose the first leg on the road tend to use dirty tactics at home. Fortunately for us as How Mine, we have a number of seasoned players who understand and know how to handle such situations,” he said.
Chuoni FC coach Ali Abdalla, who chose to blame the condition of the pitch for his defeat is confident of turning tables on How Mine.
“They scored four goals here and what can stop us from getting even more goals when we get back home. If you look at how we played we were on top of the situation but when it started getting muddy we decided to hold back and they punished us. We expect to score a lot of goals because we are equally good as How Mine,” Abdalla said.
How Mine squad for Zanzibar
Goalkeepers: Ephraim Mazarura, Donovan Bernard
Defenders: Morris Kadzola, Terrence Majo, George Magariro, Nyasha Mukumbi, Herbert Dick, Blessing Sande
Midfielders: Mernard Mupera, Edmore Muzanhenhano, Emmanuel Mandiranga, Thembani Masuku, Xolisani Moyo, Warren Dube, Timothy January, James Chitereki
Strikers: Kuda Musharu, Marvel Samaneka, Warren Dube
Online Reporter