Basket Hounds coach Tawanda Nemutambwe is banking on home advantage as the Zimbabwe champions bid to make the next phase of the Basketball Africa League qualifiers by making it past Group E.
The six-team, round-robin Group E qualifiers start today at the City Sports Centre in Harare with Hounds taking on Malawi giants and regular campaigners Brave Hearts.
Only two teams will proceed to the Elite 16 from which six clubs will punch their tickets in the BAL Season Five.
It's a long and winding yet tough road to the NBA Africa Basketball League but Basket Hounds can dare to dream.
No Zimbabwean club has ever made it past the group phase since the coming of the elite African competition about five years ago. But Nemutambwe believes he has a squad good enough to proceed to the Elite 16, especially with the backing of locals, who are expected to fill the City Sports Centre starting today.
The Group E qualifiers were initially scheduled to kick-off yesterday but some logistical imbalances led to its shelving by a day.
And it's now all systems go for Nemutambwe and his troops to deliver.
"We can't wait for the games to begin. We have been eagerly awaiting for this tournament to start and it's now finally here and we can't wait.
"I believe we have done everything to prepare for this tournament and it's up to the boys to come to the party because we did everything to prepare for the qualifiers," said Nemutambwe.
"Look, the boys have been in camp over the past week in preparation for the BAL qualifiers. And even before that, we have always been working flat out to tune up for the game.
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"I know Brave Hearts are giants in this region but we are not going to dwell much on that.
"This is the contest and it's up to us to remain stagnant or move to the next stage. We elect to move and we have the home support and advantage to be able to deliver."
Hounds are limping though as they will troop to the courts without their influential pair of Munyaradzi Manyeza and Tavonga Muvezwa who are both ruled out due to injury. The Zimbabwe representatives are, however, counting on the depth they now have after welcoming five new players into their fold ahead of these games.
Former South Africa-based Everisto Pasipanodya and Kamani Morris, who is coming from the United States are expected to give Hounds a different dimension.
Ex-JBC star Tashinga Chirinda, former Lakers' Clayton Chikwengo, and Thomas Rutsito who is coming from Mozambique can also add a lot of value for Hounds.
Other teams who will be out to grab the two available slots to the Elite 16 include Matero Magic of Zambia, Botswana Defence Forces, Desportos Costa Do Sol of Mozambique, and South Sudan side Fox.
The top two teams in this group, just like from other pools across the continent, will play in the Elite 16 to be staged in South Africa next month.
