By GWEN CHIPASULA –
CONFIDENT Zimbabwean side, Harare City is already relishing the prospect of beating Zanaco way before securing their passage past the preliminary round of the CAF 2016 Confederation Cup.
Harare City secretary-general Mathew Marara said his side would enjoy playing against Zambian opposition and that there is nothing to fear going into the tournament.
“It is likely going to be a good game. We know a lot about Zambian teams and it is good for us to meet them,” he said.
However, Harare City will first have to negotiate their way past AS Adema of Madagascar to book a place in the first round where the Zambian side lies in wait for the clash set for the weekend of March 11-13 and return fixture to be played a week later.
The winner of that tie will face either Malian side AS Bakaridjan, AS Kaloum Star of Guinea or Stade Gabesien of Tunisia in the final qualifying round before the group stages of the second tier African inter-club competition.
Marara told the Herald Newspaper of Zimbabwe that the draw was fair for the Taurai Mangwiro coached side although they would have preferred to start away.
“It is a fair draw and we would have preferred to start away but nevertheless we will give it our best and see how it goes,” he said.
Marara believes that the Sunshine Boys, as Harare City are known, have been handed a fair draw in their maiden dance with the Confederation Cup.
He, however, said his side will need to be wary of AS Adema who are more experienced than them and have two Champions League appearances under their belt as well as four Confederation Cup appearances.
“Usually in these tournaments playing at home gives a team advantage and it is better to start away and should the result go either way you will capitalise at home rather than to finish away where it would be difficult to capitalise if you would have not played very well at home,” he said
Marara said he was expecting the competition to get hotter in the latter stages but that the initial games were fair.
He said Harare City will use the preliminary and first round games to acclimatise in the competition.
“We expect it to be hot in the latter stages but the initial games are fair and we hope to acclimatise in this tournament in the early stages so that by the time we would meet opposition from regions like West Africa or North Africa we would have become used,’’ Marara said.
Harare finished second in the Zimbabwean league and also won the Chibuku Super Cup.