ZANACO, NKANA
THE 2018 FAZ Soccer League season returns to action this afternoon with 12-time league champions Nkana Football Club and ZANACO clashing in the first semifinal fixture of the 2018 Samuel Zoom Ndlovu Charity Shield at Nkoloma Stadium.
The Beston Chambeshi led “Kalampa” will seek to maintain their dominance over the bankers after having beaten Numba Mumamba’s boys 4-0 in the two teams last meeting at Nkana Stadium in September last year.
Congolese born striker Walter Bwalya produced a man of the match performance, scoring a hat trick and providing an assist for his colleague Jacob Ngulube to humiliate Zanaco in the Week 26, 2017 MTN/FAZ Super league fixture.
Nkana are also on record to have defeated Zanaco 3-0 in the second semifinal of the 2017 Samuel Zoom Ndhlovu Charity Shield tournament.
Walter Bwalya, Ronald Kampamba and veteran defender Joseph Musonda scored a goal apiece for the Wusakile-based Super League outfit to prevail with a comfortable win over the 2016 league champions.
Today’s meeting will however present an opportunity for the “Bankers” to avenge their defeats against Nkana to maintain their perfect form in 2018 after having handed Gambia Armed Forces a 6-1 aggregate defeat in the CAF champions league.
Numba said he had a lot of players capable of producing a positive result against “Kalampa” in today’s fixture.
Speaking upon arrival from Gambia, Numba said he would use a deferent team consisting of players who did not travel to Gambia for the CAF Champions league fixture.
“We want to win.
We have enough players and all of them need an opportunity to play. We thought of giving the guys a chance to prove themselves and to also gain match fitness,” Numba said.
Meanwhile Nkana coach Beston Chambeshi says Nkana will not underestimate Zanaco when the two teams clash in the Samuel ‘Zoom’ Ndhlovu Charity shield semifinal fixture at Nkoloma stadium in Lusaka.
Speaking in an interview recently held in Kitwe, Chambeshi said Zanaco was a good side and would give the 12 times league champions’ stiff competition as they prepare for the CAF confederations Cup tournament.
“It is good, we will be playing Zanaco obviously, they will give us a good game they are a good side. Our hope is that we use the match to prepare for our continental games,” Chambeshi said.