(Dynamos qualify on a 3-1 goal aggregate) DYNAMOS qualified for the first round of the Orange Caf Champions League despite going down to Lesotho Correctional Services (LCS) in the second leg of the preliminary round of the continental club football tournament at Setsoto Stadium here yesterday. FROM SIMBA RUSHWAYA IN MASERU, LESOTHO
They will now take on either CA Birzetin of Tunisia or Al Ittihad of Libya, who were due to play their second leg last night. The two teams drew 1-1 in the first leg in Tunis two weeks ago.
Dynamos went into the match with a comfortable 3-0 lead from the first leg played at Rufaro Stadium in Harare two weeks ago, but those on target then — Tawanda Muparati, Boban Ziruntusa and Patson Jaure — could not reproduce their magic yesterday.
Backed by a vociferous travelling party that drowned the home crowd, Dynamos still flattered to deceive leaving a huge question mark if they will make an impression in this tournament.
Coach Kalisto Pasuwa cut a pensive figure after the match and admitted that he has no depth especially in the strike force.
He said: “I’m not happy with the result because our approach was not good enough. We underrated them and I believe we should pull up our socks. We played a defensive game and for the entire 68 minutes they were on us.
“My strikers were not keeping the ball. We were let down by the attitude of our players. We need to do better than this if we are to make it in Africa.”
The hosts were always going to attack from the word go and that is exactly what they did before an almost empty stadium save for the strong Dynamos contingent that invaded Maseru, but goalkeeper Artwell Mukandi, making his Champions League debt, kept the Zimbabwean champions in the match.
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Although they dominated the first 30 minutes of the match, LCS did nothing to write home about allowing Dynamos to prevail in the last 15 minutes of the match.
The visitors could have scored in the 43rd minute, but Francisco Zekumbawira, also making his Champions League bow, missed a goal that could have killed the contest. It was the miss of the match.
The giant striker received a good cross on the right flank from Muparati, but his header was parried back into play by Samuel Ketsekile in goal for LSC. The on-loan Hwange striker failed to make amends after the ball came his way when he headed wide, much to the relief of the home side.
The Lesotho side scored the winning goal of the match in the 84th minute when Thabane Ranlegoti punished the Dynamos defence by nodding a header past the impressive Mukandi after Ranlegoti’s initial effort had been blocked.
The Basotho had a goal disallowed in the 87th minute for offside after Thulo Ranchobe had beaten Mukandi.
Teams Dynamos: A Mukandi, G Bello, T Magorimbo, P Jaure, A Mbara, D Chafa, S Alimenda, M Murape (C Sekete 76th min), T Muparati, B Zirintusa (R Madamombe 64th min), F Zekumbawira (F Mupasiri 64th min) LCS: S Ketsekile, M Ntobo (captain), L Teele, T George, P Mohale, K Lethabela, Lehloka, R Mokhahlane, T Rankara, T Rachobe, K Ntonyana, Referee: Wellington Kaoma (Zambia)
