EXPERIENCED coach Sunday “Mhofu’’ Chidzambwa has advised Zimbabwe’s continental football representatives CAPS United and Ngezi Platinum Stars to build their campaign on solid home shows if they are to go further in the African Safari.

CAPS United will represent the country in the Champions League while Ngezi will make their bow in the Confederation Cup.

Due to their prolonged absence from the tournament, CAPS United will start at the preliminary round stage, where they will face Lesotho’s Lioli on the weekend of February 10-12, with the reverse fixture set for the National Sports Stadium a week later.

On the same weekend that CAPS United will be away in Maseru, Chibuku Super Cup winners Ngezi Platinum, playing continental football for the first time, will travel to Mauritius to face regular campaigners Pamplemousse.

Ngezi will then receive the Indian Ocean islanders the following week.

In reviewing the draw that will also see CAPS United playing TP Mazembe if they advance beyond the preliminary round, Chidzambwa said it was imperative that the two Zimbabwean clubs achieve good victories at home and battle for a results on the road.

Chidzambwa has vast experience that was spiced by a runners-up spot to Ivoirians ASEC Mimosas in 1998.

The former Dynamos and Zimbabwe coach backed CAPS United and Ngezi Platinum mentors Lloyd Chitembwe and Tonderai Ndiraya to do well on the continent.

Chidzambwa coached both Chitembwe and Ndiraya during their playing days for Zimbabwe and Dynamos.

The ZPC Kariba gaffer said the experience that Chitembwe and Ndiraya got from playing continental football would also stand them in good stead in the African Safari.

Chitembwe also took CAPS united to the verge of qualifying for the group stage of the Confederation Cup only for Makepekepe to fall to Edward Sadomba’s Sudanese giants Al Hilal.

It is against the background of their coaches’ personal experiences with African football that Chidzambwa believes CAPS United and Ngezi will not be easy pushovers in their competitions.

“Tonderai (Ndiraya) and Lloyd (Chitembwe) were once involved in this kind of competitions and they are not new to the dirty tricks that are displayed by some of the teams, with some even giving a good gesture to the visitors.

“They must try and win all their home matches and when they go and play away they must fight for a draw and if they win it will be a bonus.

“It will also be good to go and attack and score an early goal before the hosts as this will unsettle the opposition.

“It’s good that the games are now being televised but it better to score four goals and if the referee disallows one, they will be having two.

“I am also appealing to the CAPS United players to put their financial problems aside.

“Financial problems must end the moment they board a plane from Zimbabwe.

“CAPS United officials must also be open to their players.They must tell them the truth about the situation at hand. A lot of scouts are attracted to the Champions League games and a number of players can find themselves attracting clubs from Europe.

“I wish all the participating teams the best and it would be happy to see them going past the group stages. As always, I will be free to exchange notes with any of the coaches,’ said Chidzambwa.