Former Zambia defender Hichani Himonde has urged Power Dynamos to be clinical when they face Al Merrikh in the return leg of the CAF Champions League first preliminary round.
The Zambian champions suffered a 1-0 defeat to the Sudanese side in the first leg on Saturday, with Al Merrikh hosting their matches in Rwanda. The two teams will meet this weekend at Levy Mwanawasa Stadium.
In an interview with Bola News, Himonde believes the tie is far from over and has challenged Power Dynamos to convert their chances into goals.
He said Power Dynamos defended well in the first leg but lacked the finishing touch from the few opportunities they created.
“That was the first half of the qualifier, and the next 90 minutes will be more like the second half. The chances to overturn the match are still there if only the half chances can be turned into goals,” Himonde said.
“They had one or two moments to at least get a goal, but it is football; sometimes you miss chances. However, for them to qualify, they need to score the created chances.”
Power must be urgent – Himonde
Himonde has also called for urgency from Power Dynamos in the return leg, warning that every minute without a goal will work in Al Merrikh’s favour.
“The disadvantage about it is that the Sudanese side can afford to just come and defend for the entire 90 minutes. The pressure will be on Power Dynamos, meaning every minute that passes by without a goal, will be an advantage to Al Merrikh. They will need to be quick to score the goal that will equalize the match,” he stated.
Asked about the penalty awarded to Al Merrikh in the first leg, the former Power Dynamos defender said the incident should now be put aside as the team focuses on the return fixture.
“It might be a debatable call by the ref, but they know the focus should shift from that to the next match at home. We can’t blame the referee forever; now it is time to work towards getting a positive result.”
Himonde won the CAF Champions League with TP Mazembe in 2010.
