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Don Makanyanga and Curtworth Masang
ZIMBABWE’S continental club football representatives, Ngezi Platinum Stars and Dynamos are ready for the 2024/25 CAF competitions next month.
Both teams will start from the preliminary rounds mid next month and were drawn against regional opponents in yesterday’s draw by CAF.
Ngezi Platinum Stars are all but ready for their debut appearance in the Africa’s top tier club tournament, the Africa Champions league.
They will be making their second appearance in the African Safari having represented the country in the CAF Confederation Cup in 2017.
Ngezi Platinum Stars were yesterday drawn against AS Maniema of DRC in the preliminary round.
The Zimabwean champions will play at home first during the weekend of August 16-18 , before travelling for the reverse fixture a week later.
Coach Takesure Chiragwi remains calm of the teams’ expectations reveling that they are ready to represent the country.
“We are more than ready for the Champions League and I believe we have enough time to prepare for the tournament.
“If you do well te level of competition goes up and we need o make sure that we go there to compete and represent the nation.,” said Chiragwi.
Chiragwi admitted that they know nothing much about their Democratic Republic of Congo opponents stating that playing at home first will be an added advantage for his charges.
“We do not know them much we have never seen them play and we have to start doing the research on them now hence we need to make sure that we are good in our preparations so that when we meet them we will be in a good position.
“We have been playing our games and I think this will be an added advantage to us and also playing first at home is also an added advantage for us,” said the Ngezi Platinum Stars ccoach.
The winner between the two sides in the preliminary round will face Angolan giants Petro de Luanda of who received a bye in the first stage of the tournament .
Meanwhile, Dynamos head coach Genesis ‘Kaka’ Mangombe is confident of progressing beyond the first preliminary round of the 2024/25 CAF Confederation Cup.
The Chibuku Cup winners are set to face Zambia’s Zesco United over two legs in the first Preliminary Round of the CAF Confederation Cup slated for August.
If they progress, they will face either Foresters FC of Seychelles or Orapa United of Botswana in the second Preliminary Round in September.
Speaking to Zimpapers Sport yesterday, Mangombe said:
“We have been drawn against Zesco, they are a good side. This means we have to be very prepared and address our grey areas since they are not pushovers.
“It’s game on and we have to be prepared and be ready to battle.
“If we tick all the right boxes, Zesco is not going to be a problem to us they are going to fall.”
Mangombe believes his strike force still needs to be reinforced despite the short time left for the team to gel.
“We need to beef up our squad, and we need strikers with even some coming from abroad. “But we have a short space of time as they need to gel in the system since the days are near.
The last time that DeMbare were supposed to play continental club football, they withdrew from the CAF Champions League citing financial challenges in 2015.
Online Reporter