DYNAMOS coach Tonderai Ndiraya is confident that his team will win the cup tournament, which is set to kickstart local football at the end of the week.

Ndiraya and his charges had a taste of glory last month when they beat rivals Highlanders 2-0 to lift this year’s edition of the Uhuru Cup.

Local football is set to return this week after an 18-month absence due to the Covid-19 pandemic with a cup competition, which pits DeMbare against four Harare sides namely CAPS United, Harare City, Yadah FC and Herentals as well as ZPC Kariba in the first round.

The matches will be played in the capital.

“We are taking the Cup games seriously and they are really going to help us to improve our fitness before we start the league matches. We are going to fight hard and give it our best and try and take it step by step; and try and win the tournament. We are in it to win and I hope that we can go all the way,” Ndiraya told Standardsport.

“It’s not going to be easy because of many factors, but we are going to try our best to get the results for our supporters, who have been supporting us all these years. Even during the pandemic they have always been there for the team so this would be a very good way of giving back to them,” he added.

The other group will see four Bulawayo sides Bulawayo Chiefs, Bulawayo City, Chicken Inn and Highlanders compete against each other in the City of Kings.

Zvishavane will play hosts to FC Platinum, Ngezi Platinum Stars, Triangle, and Whawha, while Manica Diamonds, Tenax, Black Rhinos and Cranborne Bullets will battle it out in Mutare.

Two top teams in the preliminary group clashes will progress to the quarter-finals.

Ndiraya predicts an exciting contest in the Harare group.

“These are all derbies. All the teams are from Harare except for ZPC Kariba, so that makes the whole competition exciting. Most of these players know each other so we expect some exciting matches between all the Harare teams.

“We are confident that we are going to progress to the next round of the competition,” he said

As he has done on numerous occasions, Ndiraya bemoaned the lack of match fitness on the part of his players.

“We are ready to start the games, but we are not yet fit because we didn’t have enough time to prepare. The level of fitness for our players is not at a stage where we can say we are fully prepared for the game, but the good thing is we are starting at the same level," he said.

“We are living in unusual times and we were all clamouring for football to return and its return in whatever form is acceptable to us.

“It has been a very long time and we are thankful to the organisers of the tournament.”

Ndiraya will be itching to unleash his talented squad that includes the likes of King Nadolo, Juan Mutudza, Tinotenda Chiunye, Sylvester Appiah, David Temwanjira, Barnabas Mushunje, Cameroonian Albert Eonde and starlet Tanaka Chidhobha.

Last year DeMbare brought in 13 new signings in preparation for the season and this year the club added Trevor Mavhunga, Frank Mukarati, Newman Sianchali, Tinashe Makanda and Luke Musikiri. Meanwhile, Bulawayo Chiefs, who unveiled their own kit brand last week, are confident of doing well in the upcoming competition.

“Our morale is high and our confidence is above cloud level. We have been preparing well for the past few weeks and we are quite confident that we are putting up a team that will compete and achieve victory.

“There is no better place to start preparing than starting at home. “We are confident,” Chiefs’ spokesperson Javas Sibanda said.