Do-or-die for How Mine

Sport
HOW Mine FC will go for all broke when they take on Bayelsa United FC of Nigeria in the second round second leg of the Orange Caf Confederation Cup at Sapele Stadium tomorrow.

HOW Mine FC will go for all broke when they take on Bayelsa United FC of Nigeria in the second round second leg of the Orange Caf Confederation Cup at Sapele Stadium tomorrow. FORTUNE MBELE SPORTS REPORTER

How Mine carry a slim 2-1 lead from the first leg played at Barbourfields Stadium (BF) last Saturday and Kuda Musharu, who has scored in virtually every game in the preliminary and first round stages against Chuoni FC of Zanzibar and St Michel United FC of the Seychelles, was given no room to manoeuvre  against Bayelsa United skipper Junior Saloman.

Musharu told Cafonline on Wednesday that he believes How Mine could do it and just like he scored the crucial away goal against St Michel, working as a team could bring wonders for the gold miners who are eyeing a group stages dance in the Confederation Cup.

“We don’t need to panic. I think if we contain them (Bayelsa) for about 30 minutes, they will be frustrated and we can get one goal which will unsettle them. I scored the crucial away goal against St Michel in the Seychelles and I think if we work as a team, we can do it again. Anything can happen in football. We are still in it and we can win away as well,” Musharu said.

The lanky forward, who played for Motor Action in the 2011 Caf Champions League, said winning away would be difficult and the trick in the continental showcase was to win big at home.

“You need to win by big margins at home and then play for a draw away.

“Winning away is difficult. We lost to St Michel and we need to take our chances at home,” Musharu said.

How Mine beat St Michel 5-1 at home in the first round first leg, but survived a shock from the islanders in the second leg, who led them 3-0 in the first half before Musharu scored the priceless goal in the second half that assured  them of a second round berth.

The gold miners are in for a tough battle against the West Africans. Head coach Philani “Beefy” Ncube has not made any changes to the team that upstaged Bayelsa United last Saturday.

But they wasted a lot of chances at BF and their strategy in Nigeria tomorrow should be to play attacking football from the outset and make sure they score goals if they aim at perpetuating their dream of writing their own piece of history by getting to the group stages, after playing top-flight football for one season.

How Mine have Musharu, Thembani Masuku, Xolisani Moyo, Menard Mupera, Edmore Muzanenhamo, Emmanuel Mandiranga and Wonder Sithole to bank on with a solid defence that has captain Gilbert Banda partnering Nyasha Mukumbi in the centre. Brighton Dube and overlapping Morris Kadzola are on the sides.

Kadzola was impressive last week, scoring the equalizer and was in the thick of things for How Mine to earn the penalty that was converted by Mupera to give them the winner.

But Bayelsa United coach Richard Bubagha was confident that they would stop How Mine.

“How Mine FC are a good side there is no doubt about it, but we’ve better understanding of the side now than previously. We’ve seen their strengths as well as weaknesses. We’re working on them and come Saturday in Sapele, Bayelsa United will thrash How Mine FC to advance to the next stage of the competition. We’re going to inflict the same painful defeat on the Congolese side, FC Kondzo against How Mine FC.

Bayelsa United are doing everything to ensure they put a smile on the faces of Nigerians come Saturday,” Bubagha said.