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clash against Lesotho Correctional Services.
The Harare giants are set to leave for Maseru this morning carrying a healthy 3-0 lead from the reverse fixture at Rufaro.
Midfielder Tawanda Muparati’s stunning volley, Boban Ziruntusa’s effort and Patson Jaure’s header gave the Zimbabwe league champions a comfortable 3-0 cushion but skipper Murape has warned his teammates to remain focused until they skip the next hurdle.
In William Shakespeare’s, Julius Ceaser, the Ides of March was the day Caesar was assassinated by a group of conspirators at the Roman senate on the day he believed they would crown him ruler, and Murape has challenged his teammates to avoid such a tragedy befalling them on March 3 in Maseru.
Speaking at the eve of their departure yesterday, Murape, the longest serving player in the current team, feels that Dynamos have to avoid defeat in Maseru to be assured of a passage into the next second round.
In March 2012, Dynamos beat MC Alger 4-1 at Rufaro but crumbled in the reverse fixture in Algiers to bow out of the African Champions League at the second round in cruel fashion.
“The job is not yet over because Champions League games are tricky and we need the right attitude,” said Murape.
“We are starting from zero-zero in this game. We need to score an away goal because it will be important in the end.
“We are going to defend our three goals but we should also try to score in the process because a goal away will make our job easier.”
DeMbare will not be short of support as Savanna Tobacco have provided a bus to ferry fans from Harare to Maseru to cheer the Glamour Boys in this adventure.
Savanna Tobacco have a partnership with the DeMbare fans and the bus will leave Harare today.
Murape was in inspired form during the first leg of this Champions League contest and the forward was part of the team that thrashed Highlanders 4-0 in a Bob 89 Super Cup tie at Rufaro last Sunday.
“As a team I think we have prepared very well and we have been boosted by the big win over Highlanders last Sunday,” said Murape
“We won 4-0. So I think it was a morale booster for the team and we are ready for the task at hand. I think we need to get the right attitude and come up with a positive result.
“We won 3-0 at home in the first leg and now it’s the return leg. We must not allow complacency to creep into our heads and then think that the game is over yet,” said Murape.
Lesotho Correctional Services have never played beyond the preliminary stage of the African Champions League but the minnows could re-write their history books if they overturn the tables against Dynamos.
“I believe it’s the first half that was played in Harare and now we are going for the second half in Maseru. So we are still confident of our capabilities to pull out a positive result,” said Murape.
“Our attitude has to be spot on and we need to be focused. We have to forget about the 3-0 result from the first leg and start anew.”
Murape, as the longest serving player, is the natural leader of the team on the field and believes that the new guys are blending well into the Glamour Boys’ system of play.
“The new guys in the team are doing well. I think in the few pre-season games that we have played, the players have been doing well,” said Murape. So we just need to encourage each other to continue doing well and motivate ourselves.
“I think we have to motivate each other so that we do not show too much respect for our opponents. We have to get the right mentality that will help us to get a good result,” said Murape. Dynamos coach, Callisto Pasuwa, handed the captain’s armband to Muparati in the previous game but the gaffer revealed during the press conference that Murape is ahead on the perking order.
“We have two captains in the team and in the previous games when Murape was not in the team, we would give Tawanda Muparati to carry the captain’s armband.
“But if Murape is playing in the starting line-up he would get the armband,” said Pasuwa.
Meanwhile, Dynamos vice-chairman and acting secretary-general Webster Chikengezha said they have finalised registration of their players for the Castle Lager Premiership season ahead of the deadline yesterday.
“The coach had been focusing on training the players for the Champions League game while the manager and the administration were busy doing the registration of the players,” said Chikengezha.
“I am happy to announce that we have completed registration of the players and all the 25 players registered for the African Safari are the ones to represent us in the domestic league. We have five slots for the youngsters and we are also glad to our sponsors BancABC and Mbada Diamonds for helping us in our travelling to Lesotho.”
Online Reporter