Gutu, who has hit a sudden rich vein of form ahead of the clash, said they would be looking at getting an early goal to unsettle the North Africans.
“It is going to be a tough match as we would be playing a team that won the championship in its country. However, there is no way that they are going to beat us. All we have to do is score an early goal to unsettle them.
“I see us winning by a 3-0 margin as we have some very exciting players in the team. We play as a united team and you cannot single out a player who is going to be the threat to the Algerians. However, what I know is that I am going to score one of the goals,” Gutu said.
The former Ajax Cape Town midfielder allayed fears that inexperience could prove to be the team’s Achilles’ heel saying most of the players have had international exposure at Under-23 level.
“Though the Champions League is a bit different, most of us have either played for the senior national team or the Under 23,” he said.
His sentiments were echoed by goalkeeper Washington Arubi who said the game was a must win for Dynamos to make it easier for the team in the second leg in two weeks’ time.
“North Africans are very fast so we should be on guard. If we score at least two or three goals, we will be fine. I am sure we can manage that as we have players who can rise to the occasion,” he said.
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With the mobile midfield of Denver Mukamba, Devon Chafa, Gutu, Tawanda Mparati and veteran Desmond Maringwa, Arubi can afford to be confident.
Mukamba and Gutu do not only create goals, they score as well while Maringwa would be expected to provide the experience needed in such high profile matches.
Guthrie Zhokinyi, George Magariro and David Kutyauripo are likely to provide cover in defence while Roderick Mutuma and Murape Murape would look for the goals upfront.
However, the Algerians, who were African Champions in 1976, would not be pushovers as was expressed by their coach Noureddine Zekri.
“We are definitely going to attack. We would not sit back and defend. I know Dynamos, but they have made some changes to their team,” said the coach who admitted that they had brought a weakened side owing to injuries.
Mouloudia Club d’Algiers, who have lived in the shadows of long-time enemies JS Kabylie, were the African Champions in 1976 after beating Guinea’s Hafia FC and the following year they reached the quarterfinals of the same competition.
In 1980, the Algerians lost to eventual winners Canon Yaounde in the quarterfinals of the same competition.
The team’s latest flirtation with continental football came in 2008 when they participated in the less glamorous CAF Confederations Cup where they lost 1-0 on aggregate to Eygpt’s El-Hodood in the second round.
