By Zim Sport Live Writer
Zimbabwe international Tendayi Darikwa says Lincoln City are ready to embrace the challenge of Championship football after earning promotion with a record-breaking League One campaign last season.
Lincoln secured the League One title with 103 points last term and begin life in the second tier away to Middlesbrough at the Riverside Stadium on Saturday.
Darikwa, who has Championship experience from his previous spells in the division, believes the squad has earned the right to compete at the higher level and should approach the challenge with confidence.
“We’re really excited,” Darikwa said.
“It was an unbelievable season last season, but that’s all behind us now. We’ve worked hard in pre-season since we’ve come back in. There have been some changes over the summer as well, but we’re just really excited to get going against Middlesbrough.”
The defender believes Lincoln’s promotion campaign has given the players the confidence to compete against established Championship sides.
“We’ve earned the right to be here. We believe in ourselves. We’ve got a massive belief in our football club and our squad,” he said.
“We know that when we perform, we can beat anybody on our day.”
The step up will be new territory for several members of the squad, but Darikwa believes the experience within the group can help Lincoln adapt.
The 34-year-old, who joined Lincoln in 2023, also highlighted the mentality that helped the club achieve promotion.
“I think there’s a lot of younger players who haven’t been to this level, but we’ve shown over the years since I’ve been here that we can go to any ground in the country and perform against anybody,” he said.
Lincoln’s opening-day trip to Middlesbrough provides an immediate test, but Darikwa says the Imps will not abandon the approach that served them so well last season.
“So it’s about sticking to our beliefs and our process as a team and hopefully delivering on the plan which we’re given on the day.”
For Darikwa, the Championship return offers another opportunity to test himself against some of English football’s established clubs while helping a Lincoln side stepping into a new level after one of the most successful seasons in its history.