ZESCO UNITED FLOATING ON CLOUD NINE

This feels like ZESCO United once again. The swag is back, the demeanor of being the bully of the Zambian game seem to be returning with each passing phase.

ZESCO United are floating on cloud nine. The players are walking with their heads high once again.

A visit at the Trade Fair grounds, the club’s historical home ground now turned into an official training facility gives one a glimpse of what it means to be part of this team at this stage of the season.

Feelings of doubt are meteorically ebbing away and in their place: belief, greatness, and confidence is taking center stage.

A great sense of the inevitable is filtering through the minds of the technical bench and players. It is too early to call it, however coach Numba Mumamba and his players are fully aware of the possibility of cantering away with the championship before the season ends.

The former league champions have battered their way through nine consecutive league wins opening a ten-point gap at the summit of the league table with second placed Zanaco helplessly looking at their title ambitions wither with each passing phase.

ZESCO United have achieved this feat against some of the league’s finest teams.

Buildcon, Power Dynamos, Forest Rangers, Lumwana Radiants, Kabwe Warriors, Zanaco, Green Buffaloes, Red Arrows and recently Indeni are some of the victims of ZESCO United’s unrelenting ruthlessness in the last three months.

Coach Mumamba’s side seem to have found the chemistry and spark that was evidently missing at the end of the 2019/2020 league season and the early stages of the 2020/2021 league season.

There was discontent among ZESCO United’s faithful’s when ZESCO United lost its first home game of the season 1-0 to Forest Rangers.

More questions surfaced when the team struggled to consistently collect maximum points even against the minnows of the Zambian game.

Mumamba and his technical bench agonized over their best starting eleven from a side which has been dominated by old and experienced players and recently elevated a number of young players to the senior team.

Known for his faith in young players, Mumamba shuffled his cards and made sure that everyone understood that there were not going to be any sacred cows at ZESCO United.

In the last three months, ZESCO United have dispatched nine of their league opponent’s with surgical beauty, putting themselves within reach of winning a ninth league title.

This has been a show of authority and force from a club that has for the last three months reverberated the same kind of oomph which led them to become the most feared football club in recent years.

Mumamba has been at the helm of this drastic change in both culture and belief. He has rallied his side to believing that they are indispensable. A feat that has run through the fabrics of the club for the last two decades.

He has made the system believe that boys can actually occupy the front seat of this massive football institution and produce the same kind of output that veteran striker, Winston Kalengo was and is still known for.

Like it was once the case at Manchester United. Marcus Rashford learning from the old and experienced Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Today Enock Sakala is banging goals at will under the tutelage of Winston Kalengo.

ZESCO United’s newly found formula is working charms on their opponents. Teams don’t really know what to expect.

Mumamba’s ability to start his first eleven with a mixture of youth and experience is having dramatic effects on the opposition.

This season’s thrilling run in the league and Absa Cup, has been spearheaded by six young players who have cemented their place in the ZESCO United squad.

Luwawa Kasoma, Mukuka Chanda, Enock Sakala, Samson Mkandawire, Samuel Sikaonga, and John Chishimba have been a breathe of fresh air into the ZESCO United squad.

“When I joined this club, I made it clear that we were going to give young players an opportunity to play provided they have the spirit and talent to compete. Working with young players has always been my philosophy.

I am very happy with the contribution they have continued to make to the development of the team.” Mumamba said.

There is no better place to be than ZESCO United especially for Richard Kabwe Mulenga who in 2018 was given the responsibility to steer the club to greater heights.

With the club missing out on CAF competitions and abdicating the league throne in the 2019/2020 league season, the ZESCO United Chief Executive Officer has been at the tiller of the radical changes that have taken place at the club.

At the start of the 2020/2021 league season, ZESCO United management unveiled their policy decision to limit the number of foreign players to 5.

“I wish to inform our strategic stakeholders, especially ZESCO United fans that we are mandated by the ZESCO United Football Club board to reduce the number of foreign players to 5 by the end of 2021. This process has already started as part of preparations for us to reach this target,” Mulenga said.

This decision has seen a number of promising and talented local players find their way into the ZESCO United squad.

Kelvin Kampamba joined from Nkana Football Club replacing Burudian attacking midfielder, Enock Sabumukama.

Bruce Musakanya and Chanda Mukuka joined on a two-year loan deal from Red Arrows and Gomes respectively.

Chitiya Mususu and Luwawa Kasoma are some of the recent additions to the ZESCO United squad.

Others who have made their way out of the club following these reforms are David Owino Odhiambo, Zikiru Adams, Umaru Kasumba and Quadri Kola.

The departure of some of the foreign players has provided a window of opportunity to ZESCO United’s home-grown players to shine at the highest level of the Zambian game.

“It remains our mission to bring the best players to ZESCO United Football Club. This change in policies will also give our home-grown players an opportunity to play for the biggest club in the land and a rare platform to shine at both local and international level.

This is evident through the promotion of 3 home-grown players who have graduated from the ZESCO United youth team to the senior side and currently playing first team football,” Mulenga added.

Despite losing the 2021 Absa cup final to Lusaka Dynamos, ZESCO United’s quest to win a ninth league title remains on course. The former league champions have thus far played 24 league games pocketing 52 points with only 10 games remaining before the end of the season.

This Saturday, ZESCO United travel to Lusaka where the former league champions will face Nkwazi Football Club in an early kickoff scheduled for Sunset stadium.

About the Author:

Desmond Katongo is the ZESCO United Football Club Public Relations and Media Officer. He is also the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Media Officer