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POWER Dynamos coach Osward Mutapa is targeting a first-leg advantage when his side face Al Merrikh of Sudan in the preliminary round of the CAF Champions League in Rwanda this weekend.

Power have left Zambia for Rwanda, where they will be looking to secure a positive result ahead of the second leg.

Mutapa said in an interview that his side would be looking to take advantage of their good pre-season preparations and put themselves in a strong position going into the return leg.

“We have had a friendlies…it is an important assignment, first game we need to get a positive result that takes you halfway through. A positive result is important so that as we start the campaign we know where we are going to,” Mutapa said.

Mutapa said the players had worked hard in preparation for the continental assignment and urged them to show courage and intent from the start.

“The players for me have been working hard, we have to go there be courageous, show intent from the word go even as we come to the second round we would have done half way the job,” Mutapa said.

Meanwhile, midfielder Salulani Phiri said Power had studied their opponents and were aware of the threat they posed.

Phiri said the team had watched videos of Al Merrikh’s previous matches and was ready for the challenge.

“We have had a look at them, we have seen the videos at the games that they have played. We know it is a great team, a team that has played Champions League so many times but I think we are ready,” Phiri said.

(Mwebantu, Wednesday, 2nd September, 2026)