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Don Makanyanga in KINSHASA, DRC
NGEZI PLATINUM STARS coach Takesure Chiragwi wants his miners to play with better precision in front of goal if they are to go over the line in their CAF Champions League preliminary round tie against AS Maniema at the Martyrs Stadium here today (kick-off 3.30pm)
The first-leg clash between the two sides ended goalless at Zambia’s Heroes Stadium in Lusaka.
And Chiragwi knows they cannot afford to be blunt in front of goal again this afternoon.
The youthful coach said they had spent the last few days perfecting their game plan and is confident the goals will come today. He has demanded that Ngezi treat the encounter like a cup final.
“We are more than ready for the match and that is the reason we are here,’’ Chiragwi said.
“We are very much positive that we will play and get a positive result, which is more important for the club and country at large.
“We need to make a statement about Zimbabwe football, that we can compete at the highest level.
“We are here to play a cup final, and we have to progress to the next round.”
Ngezi were the dominant side in last weekend’s first-leg tie but that counted for little as they could not find the breakthrough.
Chiragwi chose to draw positives from the fact that they did not concede.
“We played a goalless draw, and it is a positive thing for us as we did not concede.
“Now, at all costs, we have to get a goal, and we have been working very hard to make sure that we are more precise in front of goal and win the game.
“The game of football is determined by goals; if you do not score goals, then we don’t win a game,” added Chiragwi.
“We learnt from our mistakes last week and we have spent the week working on them and there is no way that we cannot get the goals today.
“This is one game that will take us to the next round,” he said.
His sentiments were echoed by veteran skipper Qadr Amini, who warned the Congolose against underrating Ngezi.
“We are not worried that we are playing away from home. We want to show them that we are the best.
“As a team, we are really ready to go and we understand the task at hand,’’ Amini said.
Although they are the hosts, AS Maniema have had to travel 1 000 kilometres to use a venue that is CAF-certified.
That has given Ngezi some hope that there might not be an intimidating atmosphere at the Martyrs Stadium today.
But the hosts coach Papy Kimoto is confident they can beat Ngezi.
“We are playing in DRC and it does not matter where we are playing from, all we need to do is to do our best to succeed.
“It is hard to predict but definitely there is need to have a winner,” said Kimoto.
Ngezi were warmly received by the Zimbabwe Embassy staff in the DRC, who hosted a dinner for the Mhondoro miners and assured them that the Government was fully behind the team.
Speaking on behalf of Zimbabwe’s Ambassador to the DRC Lieutenant-General (Rtd) David Sigauke, Chargè de Affairs Tangisayi Tapera said the embassy had done its part to make Ngezi feel at home.
“The Government is fully behind the team as they are flying the national flag, and we have rallied Zimbabweans resident here to come and support Ngezi and make them feel at home,” said Tapera.
Online Reporter