HARARE City coach Taurai Mangwiro is worried about his strikers’ conversion rate ahead of their Caf Confederation Cup tie against AS Adema of Madagascar in the preliminary round first leg tie in the capital on Saturday.
BY FORTUNE MBELE
Harare City played two friendly matches against newly-promoted Premier Soccer League side Bulawayo City at Barbourfields Stadium on Saturday as they continued to intensify preparations for their maiden Caf assignment, winning both matches 3-0 and 2-0 with striker William Manondo grabbing a brace in the 76th minute and optional time of the second game.
Mangwiro felt they could have scored more goals and he was seized with working on his strikers’ scoring this week at training before the match on Saturday. “I thought in the second half (of the second match) we had quite a number of a chances, but the conversion was not there,” Mangwiro said.
“The movement from the midfield going into attack seemed slow. We should have moved at higher tempo than we were doing.Defensively, we did very well. I still feel we can do more especially taking into consideration that we are starting at home, we need to go for the return leg with a healthy lead,” he said.
Mangwiro fielded Manondo and Francisco Zekumbawira upfront with Kuda Kumwala and new signings Ronald Chitiyo and Raphael Manuvire in midfield.
Chitiyo did well in the centre, while James Jam was also thrust in the attacking midfield role.
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Mangwiro was, however, confident that scarcity of goals is something that can be worked on and is confident of victory against AS Adema.
“We are heading in the right direction. We couldn’t have asked for a better ending to our preparations. We just felt we had to play two competitive matches. Unfortunately, we have had to postpone the game against Chicken Inn because they came late from another tournament in Zambia. We had to use two teams today (Saturday at BF) against Bulawayo City and we have benefited a lot.”
If Harare City progress from the preliminary round, they will meet Zambian giants Zanaco.
