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NewsDay

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City seek a shining start

Sport
HARARE City Football Club are targeting the mini-league stage of the Caf Confederations Cup as the team gets their campaign underway this afternoon at Rufaro Stadium, with what appears a winnable preliminary round first leg clash against a visiting AS Adema of Madagascar.

HARARE City Football Club are targeting the mini-league stage of the Caf Confederations Cup as the team gets their campaign underway this afternoon at Rufaro Stadium, with what appears a winnable preliminary round first leg clash against a visiting AS Adema of Madagascar.

BY HENRY MHARA

Kick-off is 2pm and the cheapest ticket is pegged at $1.

Club captain Themba Ndhlovu yesterday told a Press conference that the team’s main objective was to, at least, reach the group stages, where there are some financial rewards.

Harare City Football Club Taurai Mangwiro and club captain Themba Ndhlovu adrressing a press conference in Harare yesterday Harare City Football Club Taurai Mangwiro (left) and club captain Themba Ndhlovu adrressing a press conference in Harare yesterday

“As players, we are targeting the mini-league stage and then we will see from there. I believe it is very achievable,” Ndlovu said.

Teams that reach the mini-league stage are guaranteed at least $75 000 as the bottom-placed teams of the two groups share $150 000, while the winner of the tournament gets $625 000.

Harare City would be making their bow in the second tier of the continental club competitions, but their coach Taurai Mangwiro says that is not much of a worry to him.

“As a club, we could be new in this competition, but we have players who have served the nation at junior levels and at senior level. So that experience, which they have, will come in handy for us,” Mangwiro said.

He said while he would want to carry a comfortable lead into the second leg in Antananarivo in two weeks’ time, his game plan would be centered more on avoiding conceding at home.

“I know there are high expectations and people would want to see us massacre AS Adema, but I would want to be very cautious by not giving anything away at the back. Yes, I would want to see the team improve on their conversion rate, but at the same time, not abandoning their defensive duties.

“For us, we have put emphasis on imposing our game and if we can do that, the better for us. I would be more comfortable to have the job as good as done going into the second leg. We want to carry the form that gave us this opportunity to represent the nation whereby, while we were struggling for form in the league, we were having an avalanche of goals in cup competitions and that is what I expect from the team.”

Mangwiro is likely to pick an attacking team, with new arrivals in attacking midfielders Ronald Chitiyo and Raphael Manuvire expected to start the match together with the team’s star man from last season, William Manondo.

Blessing Moyo and Edwin Madhanaga, who joined this year, are also expected to be given starting berths.

“They (new players) seem to have gelled together with the other players with ease. With more time, they would get even better, but so far, we don’t have any problems. They seem to have fitted well into the system. So far so good, we are heading in the good direction and we are hoping the guys will add value to the team,” Mangwiro said.

The sad news in the City camp is the injury to new player defender Jimmy Tigere, who has been ruled out of both ties against AS Adema.

Actually, he has been ruled out of action for at least six weeks with a foot injury.

AS Adema players arrives at the Harare International Airport yesterday AS Adema players arrives at the Harare International Airport yesterday

AS Adema arrived in the country yesterday afternoon aboard a chartered plane.

Harare City probable 11

M Nyamupangedengu, B Moyo, T Ndhlovu, A Chivheya, E Madhanaga, J Jam, W Manondo, R Chitiyo, R Manuvire, K Kumwala, F Zekumbawira