‘Kante’ eyes Castle Challenge trophy
TANAKA “Kante” Shandirwa wants Dynamos to begin the 2024 campaign perfectly by winning the season-opening Castle Challenge Cup.
The Glamour Boys face Ngezi Platinum Stars in the eagerly-awaited contest at Baobab on Saturday.
DeMbare won the Chibuku Super Cup trophy last season while Ngezi Platinum was league champions.
The two will get the ball rolling in the 2024 season in a potentially explosive battle to win the year’s first trophy.
Shandirwa was a key member of the Glamour Boys team that finally ended the giants’ nine-year wait for a trophy when they beat the same opponents at the same venue in the Chibuku Super Cup final last year.
He sees Saturday’s showdown as an opportunity for Genesis “Kaka” Mangombe and his charges to make a bold statement on their intentions this season.
“Dynamos are always Dynamos and we have a huge chance to create a huge impression on Saturday,” Shandirwa said.
“This is a chance to win a trophy in 2024 and we are out and about for it. The game is not going to be a walk in the park given Ngezi Platinum’s pedigree.
“They are a strong team and they have beefed up in the off-season. But we are Dynamos; we have also beefed up and we are raring to go.
“The 2024 season promises to be one of the most competitive terms given how teams have been preparing and conducting off-season business.
“But we want a perfect one, and the first stage is upon us this Saturday. We need to make our presence felt this year.
“We should give our fans something to cheer on early in the season by winning the Castle Challenge Cup.
“This is a huge opportunity for us to win something big going into the 2024 season.”
Shandirwa was a key pillar in Dynamos’ impressive run both in the Chibuku Super Cup and the league where they finished third after Ngezi Platinum and Manica Diamonds.
He was one of the two Dynamos players to make to the calendar together with Donald “Kante” Mudadi who finished as the Soccer Star runner-up to winner Qadr Amini of Ngezi.
And Shandirwa says he wants to put in the work to even surpass what he did last year.
“This year I can’t promise but I just want to make the football do the talking. I am happy I managed to do well last season even making it into the Warriors team.
“I am trying to improve on the aspects of my game where I think I need to improve. I know I have to do more on scoring and the like while consolidating my strengths as well.”