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Sikhumbuzo Moyo in Beira, Mozambique
VETERAN FC Platinum striker, Mkhokheli Dube, believes the oneness in the team will play a huge part in their progression to the group stages of the Total Caf Champions League.
Pure Platinum Play take on hosts UD Songo in the return leg of the first round tomorrow afternoon carrying a slender 1-0 lead secured from Barbourfields Stadium two weeks ago.
Speaking to the media after their training session at the Estadio Feraviaro de Beira yesterday, Dube said they were psyched up to grind a result and progress to the lucrative group stages of the tournament.
“It’s an exciting period for us as players, the oneness in here will be key to our pulling through. We are coming here with a 1-0 lead and we just have to manage the game on Saturday (tomorrow). We are highly driven by being a family and the zeal to go a step further from where we reached last time around,” said Dube.
He said to achieve their goal tomorrow, they have to contain the Mozambicans in the opening 15 minutes as it was apparent that they would be eager to get an early goal to level matters.
“The opening 15 minutes will also be crucial. These kinds of competitions are mainly won or lost within that period, opening 15 minutes or last 15 minutes of each half and from our experience last time around, I am sure we can now overcome that,” he said.
Interim coach, Lizwe Sweswe, said his charges were well motivated ahead of the encounter.
“So far so good, we are geared up and the boys are pushing very well,” said Sweswe.
He carried 20 players for the encounter.
The team will this afternoon train at the match venue as per Caf statutes which require that a visiting team has a feel of the match venue a day before the match.
Sweswe described the weather as “friendly”.
“We don’t know whether it will change but we came here expecting very high temperatures but as you can feel, temperatures are not that high, I can say the weather is fine and we have no complaints,” he said.
Online Reporter