GU likely to face Zimbabwe's Dynamos

MQONDISI DUBE
Staff Writer | Tuesday March 23, 2010 00:00

 

The Reds and Dynamos recorded important wins on foreign soil in the first leg with the Zimbabwean side overcoming FC Lupopo of DRC 1-0. GU has made history by becoming the first Botswana club to reach the first round of the CAF Champions League and look set to extend the record by featuring in the second round after making mince-meat of Starlight on Saturday. The Reds prevailed through goals from Vincent Phiri, Ronald Chikomo and Mandla Mgadla.

The Mauritians' hopes of progressing to the next round are all but over and GU are now favoured to go through. Progress to the next round will see GU face either Lupopo or Dynamos but it all points to a GU-Dynamos clash after the Harare side recorded a narrow 1-0 win away from home.

Lupopo know that they face a mammoth task in their bid to overturn the deficit as Dynamos have performed well in CAF competitions over the years. In their last participation in 2008, they reached the semi-finals, falling to runners-up, Cotton Sport from Cameroon.

The DRC side looks formidable although they lost at home and whoever progresses to the second round should offer GU stiff competition. The Reds confounded critics when they dumped South African glamour club, Orlando Pirates from the competition in the preliminary round. But despite the feat, it was always going to be a tricky assignment away to Starlight who are seasoned campaigners in CAF competitions. With their domestic form in tatters and the axing of coach Manfred Chabinga and the hiring of veteran David Bright last Monday, GU preparations seemed to be in disarray. But Bright masterminded a convincing win, which should take Mayogolele to the last stage before the money-spinning league phase. If GU reaches the group stages, they are assured of handsome returns in a campaign that is taxing financially.

Although figures of how much GU has used this far in the competition have not been made available, the draw has been favourable to them in terms of distance covered in away matches.

Save for the trip to Mauritius, they will have only crossed one border each time they play away matches before the group stage if they meet Dynamos in the second encounter. In the trip to South Africa, GU went by road to Johannesburg before their hosts reportedly flew them to Port Elizabeth and back. Now the prospect of travelling across the border to Zimbabwe looms large and that should not heavily dent the GU coffers.