Eritrean referees for How Mine Caf match

Sport
MATCH officials from Eritrea will handle the first leg Caf Confederation Cup match between Zimbabwe’s representatives How Mine and Nigeria’s Bayelsa United

MATCH officials from Eritrea will handle the second round first leg Caf Confederation Cup match between Zimbabwe’s representatives How Mine and Nigeria’s Bayelsa United at Barbourfields Stadium (BF) on Saturday. FORTUNE MBELE SPORTS REPORTER

How Mine chairman Mlondolozi Nkomo yesterday confirmed the Nigerians will be in the country for the first leg.

How Mine will travel to the West African country next week for the second leg. He, however, said they were yet to receive the itinerary of the visitors.

The match will be handled by Maeruf Kherseed with the first assistant being Angesom Ogbamariam and the second Berhe Tesfagiorghis O’Michael. The fourth official will be Luelseghed Ghebremichael.

Kherseed was the man in the centre with O’Michael the first assistant and Ghebremichael fourth official, in the Fifa World Cup qualifying match between Nigeria and Namibia at Sam Nujoma Stadium in Windhoek last year in a match that ended in a 1-1 draw.

Saturday’s match commissioner will be Leslie Liunda from Tanzania.

The Philani “Beefy” Ncube-led How Mine have had enchanted performances in the Confederation Cup in the preliminary and first round and their acid test will be against the Nigerians in the second round.

They eye the group stages of the tournament.

“We have not received the itinerary of the team yet, but we are playing them home first at BF on Saturday and we know it is going to be a tough match. We must pull through to the next stage of the tournament.

“Nigeria is a powerhouse in African football and Bayelsa were runners-up to Enyimba last year and that definitely speaks volumes about their capabilities. We go into our preparations with that in mind.

“We will have to play with conviction,” Nkomo said.

How Mine have had the advantage of playing all first leg matches in the competition at home and will definitely have to use home advantage to score many goals against Bayelsa.

In the preliminary round against Chuoni FC of Zanzibar, How Mine won 4-0 at home in the first leg before winning 2-1 away in the second leg.

Against St Michel United FC of the Seychelles, they scored five goals in the first leg of the first round, winning 5-1 at BF before they almost got a scare in the island country when St Michel led them 3-0 in the first half in the second leg, before Kuda Musharu scored in the second half.

The gold miners won 6-4 on goal aggregate.

They started training yesterday afternoon at Luveve Stadium after playing a goalless draw in a friendly match against Zifa Northern Region Division One side Mushowani Stars.