BULAWAYO - How Mine coach Philani “Beefy” Ncube hopes his side will turn on the style to score an avalanche of goals over St Michel of Seychelles in the African Confederation Cup this weekend.
The gold miners take on St Michel at Barbourfields Stadium on Saturday before travelling to the Indian Ocean for the second leg a week later.
Ncube told the Daily News that his charges will attack from the first whistle in their quest to register a comfortable lead to take into the second leg in Seychelles.
“We are going to attack from the onset and try to get as many goals as we can because we want to take a healthy lead to Seychelles,” Ncube said.
“We are very much prepared for the encounter and are more than ready to play St Michel even though we don’t know much about them save for that they have seven players in their country’s national team.”
In the preliminary round, Chikurupati cruised past Chuoni FC of Zanzibar 6-1 on aggregate with former Monomotapa striker Kudakwashe Musharu leading the charge by scoring thrice in the two legged fixture.
In the first leg at Barbourfields, Ncube’s men had won the match comfortably 4-0 and travelled to Zanzibar knowing that a total collapse in the second leg was the only way they were going to crush out of the tournament.
The 2013 Mbada Diamonds Cup runners-up know that a similar result at home over St Michel will virtually book them a place in the second qualifying round where they would to meet FC Kondozo of the Democratic Republic of Congo or Bayelsa United from Nigeria.
Ncube added that he is not worried about the presence of seven Seychelles national team players in the St Michel squad as his team also boasts a number of experienced players.
“There are players within our ranks who can match any one in Africa and we have vast experience in the team,” said Ncube.
“We will also be welcoming back our captain Gilbert Banda and Brighton Dube who are both experienced players and that’s a positive for the team.”
Banda and Dube missed their team’s preliminary round clash against Chuoni FC as they did not have passports which they have since acquired.
A player is required to present a valid passport and an official registration licence fron the Confederation of African Football (Caf) to be allowed to take part in such competitions.
Ncube added that the gold miners have a clean bill of health and his side will be gunning for a straight victory.
“We have to use our home advantage and therefore we will be going for a straight win and nothing less,” Ncube said.
“Our target is to register an emphatic victory and win by a margin that will make it difficult for our opponents to turn the tables when we play them in the reverse fixture.”
How Mine were expected to go into camp last night at an undisclosed location as they intensify their preparations for the weekend clash against the visiting islanders.
St Michel has been to Bulawayo before in 2000 when they played Highlanders in the African Champions League and lost 1-0 at Barbourfields.
How Mine chairperson Mlondolozi Nkomo said their opponents are scheduled to arrive in the country on Thursday night.