Mutapa seeks remedy against Vipers in Champs League tie in Kampala

By BENEDICT TEMBO

POWER Dynamos have left for Kampala for Sunday’s TotalEnergies preliminary round first leg match against Ugandan champions Vipers without first choice goalkeeper Lawrence Mulenga and centre-back Dominic Chanda.
Mulenga is unwell while Chanda is serving a red card after being sent off during the first preliminary round, second leg against ASEC Mimosas in Abidjan.
But coach Oswald Mutapa says he has enough cover and his side is ready to pick up maximum points against Vipers.
The Zambian champions will take on Uganda’s Vipers Sports Club in the first leg of the CAF Champions League preliminary round on Sunday.
Speaking to the FAZ media at Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe International Airport shortly before departure for Kampala yesterday, Mutapa said his team will be looking to a good start before concluding the affair back home.
“We expect a tough game because this is a team (Vipers) that has been doing well at home but we are equally a determined side. We need to go and get a positive result. We will play the first leg well and come and finish the job here,” Mutapa said.
The gaffer said his technical bench had taken time to study Vipers just like they did on ASEC Mimosas and has collected enough intelligence on their opponents.
Mutapa said his players had recovered from the loss the team suffered at the hands of Red Arrows in the MTN Super League rescheduled week one fixture and are now more focused on getting the results in Uganda.
“Yes, we lost 2-1 to Red Arrows but if you look at how we played with a man down; we played like we were more. We created more chances than Red Arrows did. We defended well until the last minutes when we allowed the other goal. Yes, we lost but we are focused on what is at stake,” Mutapa said.
And Power captain Aaron Katebe described the morale in camp as high ahead of the first leg on Sunday.
Katebe expressed optimism that the team will triumph over Vipers having prepared adequately.
Mutapa’s side are buoyant having eliminated African heavies Asec Mimosas of Ivory Coast in the first preliminary round of the CAF Champions League.