ZESCO IN... DO OR DIE
… as they host Etoile
ZAMBIA’s representatives in the 2018 CAF champions league, Zesco Uniteds’ quest to progress to the quarter finals of Africa’s prestigious club cup competition comes under scrutiny when they host group D leaders Etoile du Sahel of Tunisia in a must win fixture at Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola this afternoon.
The Ndola giants who revived their hopes of reaching the quarter-finals of CAF Champions League with a 3-0 away win over Mbabane Swallows, thanks to a Lazarus Kambole’s five-minute hat-trick blitz on August 18, will seek maximum points to stand a better chance of progressing to the next round.
The George Lwandamina boys will also seek to redeem themselves from last Saturday's league defeat to Kabwe Warriors who gave the defending champions their second defeat of the season in the local league.
Zesco will also target to revenge their 2-1 defeat to Etuile Du Sahel they suffered in first leg in Tunisia on May 16 at Stade Olympique de Sousse.
The fixture at Levy Mwanawasa Stadium will also present Zesco United’s top man Kambole a chance to score more goals to stand a chance of winning the golden boot.
The Zambian international, who has been shortlisted in the 26-member Chipolopolo squad summoned by coach Sven Vandenbroek, dominates the CAF Champions league top scorer’s chart with four goals in five games.
Meanwhile, Etuile Du Sahel who have already qualified for the quarter final stage, will seek maximum points from Zesco United to conclude the group stage fixtures without a loss.
Etuele boast of having a record of three victories and two draws.
Despite having already qualified for the quarter-finals, Etoile du Sahel coach Shehab Ellele says his team will fight for a win this afternoon. Speaking in interview, Ellele said his team would not make it easy for Zesco United who are hoping that Angolan side Primeiro de Agosto does not pick maximum point againts Mbabane Swallows of eSwatini.
“We are a big team with a big history and coming here after 12 hours of flying, we are not coming here to joke but to work. I know that this game means a lot to Zesco United because they are playing for qualification and they have to win and wait for other results but what is crucial for my team is to play for maximum three points,” Ellele said.
The Tunisians have already secured qualification and command group D with 11 points, five points ahead of second-placed de Agosto of Angola who are on six points, a point ahead of Zesco who are third with five points, one point ahead of bottom-placed Mbabane Swallows.