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The visitors, who came by road via Botswana where they played a friendly match, arrived here in the late hours of Wednesday and had their first workout at Raylton yesterday.

Their coach Mosholu “Shoes” Mokhotho said they had a taxing journey and were not expecting the journey by road to be this long but quickly said this will not affect the team ahead of the first match of the preliminary round.

The Lesotho champions are coming into this tournament having won the domestic league back to back but have had a poor run in the African Safari.

Last year, they fell to Uganda Revenue Authority when they lost 3-0 on aggreagate and in the previous year they also failed to progress from the preliminary round when they failed to beat South Africa Premiership side Free State.

However, their coach yesterday was optimistic and said they will try to upset the Harare giants.

“We didn’t know that the journey was going to be this long. The trip was very long, so I found it very tough for our boys, but we managed to take their tiredness this morning, so I think everything is going to be well .

“We have never progressed from the preliminary round, so I am looking forward that now we progress.

“I am very happy to start the match here because that gives me an advantage when we get back home, especially if we play well according to our plan.

“My team is approaching this tournament for the third time, so I have learnt some things and that when you are away you know how to play. So I am going to approach this game with that in mind, an approach of not conceding many goals or any goal at all,” he said.

Lesotho coach says they are wary of their hosts and are aware of their history in the African Safari but would not be intimidated when they go into battle on Sunday.

“Dynamos, I have learnt, is a big team in Zimbabwe but we are also a big team in our country so I think the battle would be on the pitch. We are not going to give in, just to allow them go over us.

“We respect them as a team and I also think they will respect us as team, but I am sure the game is going to be tough.

“I have seen that they are a scoring team so I am going to be careful about that. I have seen that the team is liked so much here but I am not panicking though we have to be careful.

“But we are not afraid of them and we will not give them the opportunity. I know when away the crowd can change the game but my players are used to big crowds,” he said.

Masheshena, as the team is affectionately known, has in their squad brought four national team players.

Phasumane Kholuoe, goalkeeper Sam Ketsekile, Leita Lehloka and Moitheri Ntobo are some of the key players the coach would be expecting to stand their own against Dynamos in the match.