DeMbare’s must win tie

Sport
BY ALBERT MARUFUDYNAMOS assistant coach Tonderai Ndiraya has lamented the absence of key players during the team’s preparations for their crunch encounter against Angola’s Inter Clube at Rufaro this afternoon.

The two teams lock horns in first leg of the qualifying play-off of the Orange Confederation Cup.

Ndiraya said the absence of striker Takesure Chinyama and midfielder Denver Mukamba at last week’s training sessions disturbed the technical team’s preparations.

Mukamba, who was club hunting in South Africa, arrived in the country on Friday while Orlando Pirates’ target, Chinyama arrived in the country on Thursday and only attended Friday’s training session.

“Every coach would want to have all the best players at hand when preparing for these games. The absence of the two players disturbed us as we were not sure if they would be available. We released them in the hope that they would come back earlier, but we do not know what happened,” Ndiraya said.

“We had to plan with players who were around. However, I respect Takesure and expect him to use his experience. The same can also be said of Denver who is also a national team player.”

Ndiraya however, said they are ready to face the Angolans, adding that most players who were on the injury list were now fit.

“I am happy to say that most players such as Ocean Mushure, Arthur Kaseloki, George Magariro and Milton Makopa are fit for the game.

“Devon Chafa and Timire Mamvura are serving suspensions while Murape Murape is injured,” he said.

Chinyama who was looking confident during Friday’s training session could only say: “Enda unonyora zvawada (write what you want) and I do not care.” This was in the presence of assistant coach Tichaona Diya who kept quite.

Inter Clube Portuguese coach, Bernardino Pedroto said they are going into the match seeking a win despite the absence of key players.

The Angolan side, ranked 138 in the world compared to Dynamos’ 295, will be missing the services of their suspended midfielder Nari, who is the team’s captain, Pirolito and defenders Fissy and Fabricio.

“It is not going to be easy playing against Dynamos at Rufaro. The other disadvantage we have is the artificial turf at Rufaro which we are not used to.

I have told my players to just enjoy football. Last year the club reached the semi-finals in the same competition so this year we aim for the final,” he said.

The Angolans, who were knocked out of the same competition last year, have two national team players — Joel, who is the captain in the absence of Nari, and midfielder Patty.

They reached the group phase of the same competition twice in 2006 and 2008 before reaching the semi-finals last year.

In 2001 they reached the final when the competition was still named Cup Winners’ Cup. They last visited Zimbabwe in 2007 when they lost 2-0 to Mwana Africa in the same competition.

Dynamos were relegated to the less prestigious Confederation Cup after an embarrassing 7-1 aggregate loss at the hands of Tunisia’s Esperance.

A win will see them qualifying for the group phase of the competition and that would lessen the burden on the technical team led by Kallisto Pasuwa whose jobs were on the line last weekend.