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Four-way derby kicks off
By Petros Kausiyo
THE battle for bragging rights for the capital explodes at Rufaro this afternoon when Premiership champions Gunners, Dynamos, CAPS United and Banc ABC Sup8r winners Lengthens clash in a high-profile four-team tournament that presents fans with a football fiesta.
CAPS United and Lengthens will get the tournament underway when they clash in the first semi-final at midday with the Happy People’s team manager Robert Matoka yesterday describing it as a grudge match.
Another grudge showdown will then follow when Dynamos seek to avenge their defeat to Gunners in the championship race last year.
Matoka said apart from seeking to upstage CAPS United, the tournament had provided them with the right platform to gauge their preparedness for their Confederation Cup debut.
Lengthens will begin life in the continental football tournament with a home date against AS Adema of Madagascar next weekend.
On the same weekend CAPS United will also be at home to Mbabane Highlanders of Swaziland while Gunners will be in Zanzibar to play Mafunzo FC.
Dynamos have a bye into the Champions League first round and will only begin their campaign next month.
"The preparations have gone on well. It is good that we have been afforded this opportunity to gauge ourselves.
"The two competitive matches that we will have will surely come in handy before next week.
"As people might know by now we hate losing to CAPS United and therefore we will want to prove a point to them,’’ Matoka said.
Matoka’s CAPS United counterpart Wilson Mutekede said his side was placing a lot of significance to the tournament, which he said was more than a "healthy preparation for the Confederation Cup but also for the 2010 Premiership season’’.
Mutekede said the fact that all the clubs taking part in the two-day tourney were also involved in continental tournaments meant there would be high-level of competition.
The CAPS United team manager said apart from newboy Edmore Chafungamoyo, who arrived at Makepekepe from relegated Underhill, coaches Lloyd Chitembwe and Mike Madzivanyika had all their charges available for selection.
It will the be the first time that CAPS United, Dynamos, Gunners and Lengthens get a chance to showcase most of their off-season acquisitions.
All the four clubs have been busy on the transfer market as they sought to strengthen their teams ahead of what promises to be a busy season in which they will be chasing glory on two fronts.
"I think we have prepared very well. The bigger picture at the moment is obviously the Confederation Cup so this four-team tournament has come at the right time.
"It is another platform to continue with our preparations but in a competitive situation.
"Most of the new guys have fitted in very well and are available together with the old guard except for Edmore (Chafungamoyo) who has an injury,’’ Mutekede said.
Chitembwe is, however, likely to throw into battle the talented midfield pair of Courage Denias and Pride Tafirenyika who were lured from Eagles and Shooting Stars.
Dynamos coach Elvis Chiweshe is also set to throw in a blend of new and old faces when the Harare giants take on the team that pipped them for the title — Gunners — in the second semi-final.
Although he was not comfortable that the tournament had come in at a time when his charges had not fully prepared, Chiweshe said he still had the ammunition to face the challenges of Gunners and the team that DeMbare would face in the final should they win this afternoon.
Dynamos only began their pre-season preparations on January 26 after encountering problems with players refusing to train because of outstanding salaries and retainer fees.
Chiweshe has brought in Zimbabwe international goalkeeper Washington Arubi as a direct replacement for Ephraim Mazarura who has since joined Democratic Republic of Congo outfit FC Lupopo.
Mazarura is one of four players who featured for DeMbare last season who have now joined the Congolese outfit.
The others are striker Phillip Marufu and midfielders Mtshumayeli Moyo and Carrington Gomba.
But the DeMbare coach can still bank on Warriors striker Cuthbert Malajila to lead his side’s attack while Ashley Rambanapasi could still hold fort in midfield despite still trying to iron out some finer details of his contract with the Dynamos management.
After being held to a 0-0 draw by Division One side Cossy Rules at a bumpy and waterlogged Rimuka in Kadoma last Saturday, Gunners are expected to put on a much better show when they face DeMbare.
Acting coach Darlington Dodo and team manager Wellington Mpandare were left a satisfied pair with the way that newboy Elvis Meleka immediately settled and gave stability to their midfield. Meleka, a gifted midfielder, was snapped up from Shooting Stars together with tough defender Daniel Veremu.
Dodo should also have inspirational midfielder Ramson Zhuwawo back after the reigning Soccer Star of the Year survived a huge scare when almost twisting his knee at Rimuka.
Gunners have also secured Asani Nhongo from former champions Monomotapa while the regular faces of skipper Trymore Mtisi, chief striker Norman Maroto, goalkeeper Tafadzwa Dube and Tapiwa Mangezi should also line up for Chando Kupisa. |
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