SportPesa Cup debutants Bandari have fired warning shots to their competitors in the third edition of the tournament which gets underway next week that they are coming as title challengers and not participants.
Bandari are set to open the week-long tournament against Tanzanian side Singida FC at the National Stadium Dar-es-salaam and have expressed interests in dethroning champions Gor Mahia despite being their first appearance in the tournament.
The dockers earned a place in the championships courtesy of their last season’s runners up finish in the domestic league and will be among the seven teams out to end Gor Mahia’s dominance as the Kenyan champions have won all the tournament’s editions since its inception.
According to the club’s team manager Wilson Obungu, their playing unit are equally talented and harbour dreams of laying hands to the crown and later make a date with English side, Everton later in the year.
The former Harambee Stars goalkeeper cautioned the rest of participants not to underrate the side, who will be glad to cross the border without tasting defeat in the local league in the eight matches they have played so far in the current season.
“We are going to Tanzania as title challengers and not just to fill numbers. We are prepared to face anyone in the tournament and we believe we have the capacity to win the title. It’s our first time and despite the inexperience, we are determined to give a good account of ourselves and most importantly learn from the tournament. It brings together big clubs from difference countries and I believe the players will pick vital lessons from it.”
He added: “We know it’s not going to be business as usual but we will give it our best shot and we are confident we will emerge victorious.”
Obungu further expressed optimism in having an injury free squad ahead of the tournament having played Posta Rangers on Thursday in a league match staged at Mbaraki Stadium.