Dynamos go into battle with a host of rookies after losing most of their seasoned players who took part in the previous campaigns.
Zimbabwe Under-23 international Archieford Gutu who has been a revelation at Dynamos this season with his creativity in midfield admitted it will not be an easy stroll in the park against the experienced Algerian outfit.
“It’s youth versus experience,” said Gutu. “I predict a tough match. Most of us are still young and have never played at this level before but we have been getting a lot of encouragement from the coaches and that will be very helpful to us. We are in high spirits and I am confident we will match them blow by blow. We have been playing very well and are unbeaten in preparations and that speaks of volumes about our potential. We are also playing at home and that will be our biggest advantage.”
Gutu is also a key member of the Young Warriors side that is on the verge of qualifying for the All-Africa Games scheduled for Mozambique in September. Dynamos have won six of their last preparatory matches and drawn once. This includes wins against rivals CAPS United in the Bob 87 Super Cup and Highlanders in the Hexagon Venture Challenge Cup. That should be a big boost ahead of today’s match.
Dynamos, who had a poor run by their standards in last year’s Champions League, will be hoping to go beyond the mini-league phase of the competition.
The 1998 runners-up were also losing semi-finalists in 2008 but last year they finished bottom in their group which included eventual winners TP Mazembe, St Entente Setif of Algeria and Tunisia’s Esperance.
The North Africans will be looking for a fresh start after appointing new coach Noureddine Zekri, who replaced Frenchman Alain Michel last Friday. MC Alger qualified from the preliminary round courtesy of a 3-0 aggregate win over Real Bangui of the Central African Republic.
Post published in: Football