DYNAMOS . . . . . . .(1)1
ZESCO . . . . . . . . . .(0)0
DYNAMOS stepped closer to qualifying for the Caf Confederation Cup Group stage after they edged Zambian side Zesco in a preliminary round first leg match played at their adopted home Botswana's Gaborone National Stadium.
Tanaka Shandirwa hit the target after 31 minutes from an Ali Sadiki assist.
Dynamos interim coach Lloyd Chigowe, while grateful for the result, is anticipating a tough return match in Zambia on Saturday.
"It's always gratifying when you get the maximum points. It was a difficult encounter, but credit to the boys for grinding out the much-needed result," Chigowe said.
"My clarion call to the boys now is not to be fooled by this win and rest on their laurels because one thing for sure is that Zesco will be coming back in full force and them being at home this time around makes the puzzle very difficult for us."
Mablanyo, as Chigowe is affectionately known in football circles, savoured the Glamour Boys' return to continental football in over a decade. And, doing that with a victory excited the gaffer.
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"Dynamos is a huge institution; we belong to the big boys league, but be that as it may, we will fight until the end," he added.
"We have walked on a similar road before reaching the finals of the Champions League, so this is certainly where we belong, and we will fight tooth and nail to ensure that we get the recognition that we deserve in African football."
DeMbare got to the breather ahead and, with a bit of clinical prowess upfront, could have buried the match as a contest immediately after the halftime break.
However, credit to the Zimbabwe CAF representatives for holding on to the slender lead in Botswana. Meanwhile, Zimbabwe representatives in the CAF Cosafa Women's Qualifiers Herentals Queens are a draw away from a semi-final berth at the ongoing tournament in Blantyre Malawi.
The Lady Students currently lead the four-team Group A table with six points from two matches, a 3-1 drubbing of Namibia's FC Ongos, and a 1-0 win over Green Buffaloes of Zambia.
A draw or win agar against South Africa's University of the Western Cape gives the locals the passage to the semis.
