ZESCO United Football Club Team Ya Ziko
Former ZESCO United Striker Winston Kalengo has urged the team to rise to the occasion when they face Royal AM of South Africa in Sunday’s CAF Confederations Cup second preliminary round of qualifier, first leg match scheduled for Durban’s Moses Mabhida stadium, South Africa.
Kalengo who is currently the club’s physical trainer believes ZESCO United have the players with the stamina to withstand the demands that come with interclub football.
“Certainly, we have a team that has a mixture of young and old players. These boys have the stamina to play at this level. The secret is to be mentally strong and to approach the game with a lot of confidence. The coach has prepared them mentally, physically, tactically and technically. I think the boys are in the right shape for Sundays game,” he said.
Kalengo who contributed a total of five league titles during his playing days says ZESCO United’s preseason preparations will prove crucial on Sunday.
“We played some good friendlies during preseason which I believe gave the boys an idea of what to expect at this level. Azam and TP Mazembe were a good litmus test in terms of what to expect in this competition.
“These lads are geared for this game and know exactly what to do. I know there is a big difference between league games and CAF, the demands, physicality of the latter can be too huge. However, these guys have the confidence and the spirit to deliver. We just need to believe in ourselves.”
Meanwhile, ZESCO United goalkeeper trainer and former club shot stopper Jacob Banda says Mumamba Numba has the experience to guide the team to continental success.
“This is a different stage from what we are used to in the league. The tempo is very high. We must approach the game with great confidence and go an extra mile in our desire to win it. We also have a coach with a lot of experience at this level and he knows what to tell the lads.
“We also have some young stars who will need encouragement from some of us who have played at the highest level of the African game.”
ZESCO United will this Sunday face Royal AM of South Africa in the CAF Confederations Cup match scheduled for Durban’s Moses Mabhida stadium.
Author: Desmond Katongo
