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Tonderai Ndiraya

Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Sports Reporter
ZIMBABWE’S Caf Confederation Cup representatives Ngezi Platinum have begun preparations for the championship with the club set to invade the market in an effort to beef up its arsenal for the grueling journey.

The league debutants qualified for the tournament after winning the Chibuku Super Cup where they put up a top drawer performance against pre-final tournament favourites FC Platinum who they convincingly beat 3-1 in the final played at Baobab Stadium last month.

“We remain confident that we are going to retain the bulk of our players but knowing the demands of the tournament we are partaking in, we will certainly invade the market in an effort to take with us a formidable line-up to Africa,” said Ngezi Platinum coach Tonderayi Ndiraya on the sidelines of the 2016 Soccer Stars selection process held in Harare early this week.

Ndiraya said they are going to beef up in all the departments.

“Before the final a plan was already put up to prepare us for these kind of things and when we won the cup, we just had to put this plan into motion.

Players have been identified and negotiations are already underway but at this stage we can’t reveal the names of players we have targeted,” said Ndiraya.

One of the key players in the platinum miners’ plans is believed to be Bulawayo City skipper Xolisani ‘Scara’ Moyo who Ndiraya has been keeping track of.

While Moyo still has one year remaining on his contract with the municipality side, failure by the club to meet its own contractual obligation might sway the tide into the player’s favour. Moyo, like a number of his colleagues is yet to receive his signing on fees.

“Ngezi Platinum is stable in terms of administration and players’ welfare hence our desire not to tamper with the squad much but at the same time being fully aware of expectations from the management when we go out there in Africa. Our major disadvantage is where we are located, rural Mhondoro and it will take a lot of negotiating to bring some of the best talent to this part of the country but we are confident of bringing in a few big names,” said Ndiraya.

Sources revealed that about seven Dynamos players have shown interest in hooking up with their former gaffer but Ndiraya is said to have been skeptical about the players’ behaviour after some stopped training with the Glamour Boys in an effort to force the club into sanctioning them or releasing them on disciplinary issues.

“Ndiraya is a clever coach.  He could not take on board ill disciplined players because they can still do the same if things don’t go the way they want so I don’t think we will have a Dynamos player joining Ngezi Platinum,” said source.

If Ngezi Platinum reach the group stages of the cup competition they will get $275 000 up from $165 000 with more than a million dollars awaiting if they lift the cup.

Losing finalists of the continental tournament will get $625 000, with the semi-finalists pocketing $450 000 while quarter-finalists are guaranteed of $350 000.

— @Skhumoyo2000