Ngezi bank on home advantage

NGEZI Platinum Stars coach Tonderai Ndiraya says t hey believe home advantage will sway the tie when they take on Clube Recreativo Desportivo do Libolo of Angola in a CAF Confederation Cup first round tie at the National Sports Stadium on Saturday.

The Mhondoro side resumed training yesterday in Ngezi and will only travel to Harare tomorrow

Unlike in the preliminary round, when they set up base for a week in the capital ahead of their match against Pamplemousses, this time they have decided to prepare at home.

“We are going to try as much as possible to use home advantage. Of course, we scored an away goal, but the bottom line is we lost a game in Angola.

“They can come here and defend the whole game. So we are not going to relax at all.

“We understand our situation. We have to win the match this is what is making our life difficult.

“But, of course, the goal we scored is giving us hope, but we need to work hard as a team and try to be offensive,” said Ndiraya.

The coach said his approach would be different from the first FORGOTTEN ZIFA Northern Region Division One side Starbill director Rickson Zenda believes they still have something to offer to local football despite being in the unfashionable Division Two.

“The Shipping Boys” were relegated from Northern Region in 2015 and spent the better part of last year in the Harare Province Division Two A, but Zenda said they are doing well. leg, where he was more defensive.

“We were a bit defensive in Angola, but this time around, playing at home, we will play our normal game, we will start on the offensive, but at the same time remain tight at the back.

“We want to avoid conceding,” said the coach.

The former Dynamos gaffer said he will once again make some changes to the starting line-up.

“Because of t he approach it means we are going to have changes to the team, especially our attacking options,” he said.

The team is enjoying a clean bill of health save for defender Byron Madzokere, whose absence through injury has again been extended by two weeks.

However, his partner in the casualty room, forward Kelvin Bulaji trained with the team yesterday.

Ndiraya said they will keep assessing him this week to see if he can fully recover by Saturday.

The coach said they are not leaving anything to chance with double sessions slated for trainings at Baobab before they begin training at the National Sports Stadium tomorrow.

The Angolan side are expected to arrive tomorrow.