ZESCO United Football Club Team Ya Ziko
Zambia’s perennial envoy in two of the continents coveted CAF competitions, ZESCO United yesterday failed to make the grade for the 2020/2021 CAF season after finishing fifth in the 2019/2020 FAZ/MTN Super League Championship.
This is the first time since 2012 that the eight times Super League champions will not be among Africa’s elite teams that will be competing in two of the continent’s prestigious competitions, CAF Champions League and Confederation Cup respectively.
ZESCO United have laboured in some parts of the season after an impressive start to this year’s campaign. The defending Champions struggled to string together consistent results after their 10-match unbeaten run was halted by 12 times Super League champions, Nkana.
Overwhelmed by a congested list of fixtures both in the domestic league and CAF Champions League, ZESCO United’s fortunes withered with each passing phase.
Despite the aforementioned obstacles, the defending champions still kept in touching distance with the top teams on the league table.
New signings aimed at breathing some life into the team were made by ZESCO United Management. Tafadzwa Rusike joined from Zanaco, Ian Otieno made a switch from Red Arrows, while John Makwata and Donashano Malama beefed up the squad from AFC Leopards and Nkana FC respectively.
The new signings were an instant hit with Makwata making an impressive start which saw him score three goals in his first three starts.
However, nobody prepared the world of football for what was to come next. On March 20, 2020, the 2019/2020 Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) MTN Super League season came to a grinding halt with only nine games to spare.
The Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) made the decision to temporarily suspend the league season following the outbreak of coronavirus or COVID-19, the deadliest disease mankind has faced in recent years.
FAZ was among many Football Associations across the globe that took such radical measures following the World Health Organization’s (WHO) global plea to have most social-economic activities suspended as a panacea to stop the disease from spreading further.
At the time of the announcement, the Zambian league like most leagues across the continent was at its climax. Five teams stood neck-to-neck all with a chance to win the coveted Zambian league title.
Forest Rangers led the pack with 46 points from their 24 games, followed by Napsa Stars (45 from 25), Green Eagles (44 from 24), Nkana (43 from 24), and ZESCO United (42 from 24).
After four months of waiting, the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) decided to restart the league after being given a green light by the Government.
The FAZ/MTN Super League season returned under a hazy cloud. The league resumed under very strict health guidelines underlined by the Government through the Ministry of Sports and the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ).
The Association directed that all COVID-19 tests be carried out on all Super league players before the games could begin. This meant that COVID-19 tests were to be done and results known to FAZ officials and participating teams at least before a ball is kicked.
All these pronouncements were made within three weeks of having announced the resumption of the domestic league.
However, matchday one started with the unfortunate news of Forest Rangers players testing positive for COVID-19. Weeks and days that followed saw a surge in cases that eventually forced the Association to abandon the League at week 27 with 7 games to go.
ZESCO United managed to collect five points during this period having drawn the first game 1-1 against Kansanshi Dynamos before beating Lusaka Dynamos 0-1 in a crucial away fixture played in Lusaka.
Yesterday the defending Champions faced a tricky Red Arrows side in a crucial encounter that was going to determine the team’s chances of playing continental football.
Before yesterday’s encounter, NAPSA Stars led the table with 48 points, while second-placed Nkana had 47 points and already guaranteed three points as a result of Nakambala’s inability to finish its remaining games.
Defending champions, ZESCO United sat in the third position with 46 points just ahead of their cross-town rivals Forest Rangers who also had 46 points but behind on goal difference. Zanaco and Green Eagles sat on fifth and sixth positions respectively with both sharing 45 points.
The game between ZESCO United and Red Arrows lived up to its billing. Arrows dominated the proceedings in the first quarter of the half with numerous shots on target through Francis Simwanza and Allassane Diarra.
The Airmen were unlucky not to take the lead in the initial proceedings of the half thanks to Ian Otieno who thwarted most of their attempts.
ZESCO United grew into the game with Adrian Chama testing Arrows goalkeeper, Kenny Mumba through three well-taken free-kicks in the first and second half.
The pendulum quickly shifted in the later stages of the first half with ZESCO United coming close to scoring the first goal of the encounter through Were whose header at close range was impressively saved by an alert Mumba.
Unfortunately for ZESCO United, Arrows were the first on the scoresheet through a well-taken penalty by the veteran striker, James Chamanaga. This happened after Adrian Chama was judged to have fouled Joseph Phiri.
In the second half, ZESCO United came back looking for an equalizing goal. However, Arrows backline proved difficult to unlock for the most of the second half.
ZESCO United needed Allan Kapila’s intervention to find an equalizer. Kapila was judged to have handled the ball insides his sides penalty box in the dying minutes of the game gifting the Super League Champions a crucial lifeline before the end of the game.
On stepped a confident Were who scored ZESCO United’s equalizing goal. However, very little could be done to save the Champions from scoring a second goal.
As it stands Zambia’s envoys in the 2020/2021 CAF Champions League and Confederations Cup are: Nkana, Forest Rangers, Napsa Stars, and Green Eagles.
The winner of the 2019/2020 FAZ/MTN Super League title will be decided on Sunday when Forest Rangers host Zanaco. This was after the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) Appeals Committee overturned the decision by the Disciplinary Committee to award Zanaco three points and a 3-0 scoreline for their un-played match with Forest Rangers on July 18, 2020.
Author: Desmond Katongo
never give up we are united let’s now go back to the drawing board so that next season we lift the 🏆 trophy. we are always proud of you.
With all done and dusted . Let us remain focused and continue training hard to get back were we belong . Let’s get natural wingers and put players were they deserve .
Jese were should be in front leading attack and not coming from the wing with chingandu and makwata.
Kalengo , chaila our once upon a time greats plz give them time to rest we salute them . Give them a chance to build a career in coaching at our junior teams .