DYNAMOS veteran skipper Murape Murape has demanded mental strength from his troops ahead of their Orange Caf Champions League preliminary round second leg clash against Lesotho Correctional Service in Maseru on Sunday.
REPORT BY TAWANDA TAFIRENYIKA
Murape, a veteran of many battles, still has sad memories of Dynamos elimination from the premier inter-club competition in 2011 by Algerian side MC Algiers after squandering a 4-1 lead from the first leg at Rufaro in Harare to lose 3-0 in the decisive clash in Algiers.
He told reporters during a news conference in Harare yesterday that they should learn from the encounter against MC Algiers.
“We need the right mentality and attitude,” said the 32-year old — the most experienced member of the side.
“We need to guard against complacency. We still remember being eliminated by an Algerian team after we had defeated them 4-1 at home.
“We went on to lose 3-0 in the second leg. We need to forget about the 3-0 victory and approach this encounter like we are 0-0. It’s not over yet. It is also crucial that we get an away goal.
“But I am confident we will pull up a positive result. We have got new guys in the team and they have been doing well in the last couple of games we have played.
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Some have played for the national team and know what it is to play at this level. We have the capability to pull out a good result. We need to continue to motivate each other.”
His coach Kalisto Pasuwa said: “I have been telling the players since Monday that we need to guard against complacency.
“In the first leg they were defensive in the first 45 minutes and we are likely to see them being offensive in this encounter. We don’t need to think that we are through. We still need to fight to go through to the next round.”
The Dynamos gaffer, however, admitted that Dynamos lacked depth in attack in the African Champions League.
He dropped three players, midfielders Sidney Linyama and Milton Makopa and goalkeeper Tatenda Makuruva, as he named his final 18-man squad which will make the trip to Maseru this morning.
Powerful striker Francisco Zekumbawira, who missed the first leg as he was still to be released by his club Hwange, made the cut as was largely expected — boosting the attacking options.
LCS, on the other hand, have been hit by injuries to key players ahead of the do-or-die encounter.
But coach Mosholu “Shoe” Mokhothu is waving a defiant fist.
He believes his team is ready to fight for the country despite the injury woes.
“It is a game we have to win with or without the injured players,” Mokhothu said.
“We had to play last Sunday’s Vodacom Premier League match against Mpharane Celtic without four of our key players.” he told The Lesotho Times.
One of their star strikers Lawrence Molengoana and defender Paseka Moroanyane missed the trip to Harare for the first leg while veterans Kutloisiso Nthonyane and Moitheri Ntobo missed Sunday’s one-all draw due to injuries picked from the first leg.
Mokhothu also said midfielders Thulo Ranchobe and Lieta Lehloka were not fully fit.
“The players want to show that they take pride in representing the country in the continental competition and we will give our best performance on Sunday with or without the injured players,” Mokhothu said.
The LCS boss remained optimistic, though, that his squad had the ability to go all the way, urging fans not to give up on them.
“Dynamos had their fans to their advantage in the first leg match and we can also do well if our fans can rally behind us all the way on Sunday.”
The Lesotho champions have had a bad record in the continental club competition having been knocked out by Platinum Stars of South Africa and Uganda Revenue Authority in 2008 and 2012 respectively.
Although Dynamos have done well in the tournament, they still have sad memories of their humiliation by Tunisian giants Esperance who hammered them 7-1 on aggregate. Should Dynamos defeat LCS, they will meet either Tunisian side CA Birzetin or Al Ittihad of Libya in the first round.
Dynamos final 18 squad Goalkeepers: A Mukandi, G Chigova Defenders: P Jaure, A Mbara, G Bello, M Kadzola, O Mushure, T Magorimbo Midfielders: S Alimenda, D Chafa, C Sekete, R Madamombe, T Mabvura, M Murape, T Muparati Strikers: B Ziruntusa, F Mupasiri, F Zekumbawira
