ZESCO United Football Club Team Ya Ziko
“Ba Katongo, who told ba sharp Razor that it is easy to cut through a 330KV ZESCO electricity cable,” Kelvin Kampamba jokingly asks this author after ZESCO United battered Konkola Blades in the Absa Cup Semi-finals by 4-0.
Kampamba’s sentiments summed up what turned out to be a bruising day for Konkola Blades who after 90’ minutes where transformed from a sharp to a blunt razor blade.
ZESCO United versus Konkola Blades had the right ingredients to excite any football fan that has followed the Zambian game for many years.
Apart from being a semi-final for Zambia’s only lucrative cup competition after the league, it was a fixture that paired current Super League leaders, ZESCO United against FAZ/Eden University League leaders, Konkola Blades.
Off the field of play, ZESCO United coach Numba Mumamba was meeting a side that helped him sharpen his footballing skills as a player and a team that still considers him a legend.
ZESCO United came into yesterday’s fixture after having won seven-consecutive league matches, a feat that has put them in a good position to win the 2020/21 FAZ/MTN Super League title.
Meanwhile Konkola Blades came into this fixture hoping to cause the same damage they inflicted on Forest Rangers in the quarter finals and probably put a stop to ZESCO United’s winning trajectory.
ZESCO United started the game with the same momentum that has made them invincible in the Zambian league.
Jesse Were, Winstone Kalengo were given the responsibility to unlock the Blades defence while Mukuka Chanda, Tafadzwa Rusike, Kelvin Kampamba, John Ching’andu controlled the midfield and ensured that the striking force was well nourished with a constant supply of clinical passes.
In defense, Adrian Chama, Solomon Sakala, Simon Silwimba and Fackson Kapumbu ensured that Blades strikers were denied access to the ZESCO United goal mouth.
ZESCO United started the game with the intention of unsettling Konkola Blades. It didn’t take long before Solomon Sakala came close to putting the defending champions in the lead with a powerful header that went inches wide.
In the 25’minute, ZESCO United took the lead after a good interchange of passes between Jesse Were, and Winstone Kalengo with the latter guiding the ball in the Blades goalmouth to put ZESCO United ahead.
Kalengo almost doubled the lead for ZESCO United, however, Willard Mwanza pulled off a an eye-catching save to stop the veteran striker from getting a brace in a space of two minutes.
The game went to halftime with ZESCO United dominating proceedings while Konkola Blades could not manage a single shot on target.
In the second half, Konkola Blades showed a few flashes of brilliance going forward which unfortunately yielded no positive outcome.
The Absa cup defending champions dominated proceedings in the middle of the park with 20-year-old Mukuka Chanda’s dazzling movements which left spectators in a state of awe.
Yesterday Chanda outclassed Blades midfielders and showed why he doesn’t deserve to pursue a ‘degree’ in the FAZ/Eden University National Division One to play at the highest level of the Zambian game.
In the 59’ Mumamba was forced to make a change after Were limped off with what looked like a hip injury.
In form 19-year-old striker Enock Sakala took up the responsibility left by the Kenyan international striker.
Sakala’s first touch upon entering was a powerful header that glanced the upright with Willard Mwanza completely beaten. This was a warning to Konkola Blades about what was going to come if they took their eyes off the deadly ZESCO United finisher.
ZESCO United continued to press forward with Blades looking vulnerable whenever the former league champions attacked.
It wasn’t surprising that in the 64’ minute, Blades defender Kelly Kayembe scored an own goal as he attempted to clear the ball that was destined for the Blades goalmouth.
ZESCO United were enjoying themselves with Mukuka stringing up excellent passes that proved too damaging for the inexperienced Blades players.
In the 78’ minute Sakala scored the third goal to put the game beyond Konkola Blades reach with a powerful shot which left Mwanza helpless.
Kelvin Kampamba put the icing on the Cake with a beautiful fourth goal completely dashing Konkola Blades hopes of getting to the finals of the Absa cup competition.
ZESCO United’s resounding victory against Konkola Blades means that the Absa cup defending champions will meet Lusaka Dynamos in the finals to be played on Saturday at the MTN Woodlands stadium, Lusaka.
Lusaka Dynamos beat Zanaco 3-0 to set up a date with ZESCO United in what is expected to be a mouthwatering encounter.
Author: Desmond Katongo
