Four games in two weeks is too much for any team of any magnitude especially, all away from home. That has been the story of the Zambian Super League defending champions Zesco United. We are looking at a team which were never expected to get much further than the preliminary rounds of the CAF African Champions League, let alone reach the semi-finals.
As they progressed in the Champions League, the more their games in hand domestically began to pile up due to the fact that Champions League games were played on the same weekends as Zambian Super League games. The result: Zesco find themselves with a staggering 4 games in hand with 4 rounds of fixtures remaining until the end of the season, a situation which is almost unheard of.
Yes, Zambian clubs have not quite been accustomed to excelling in the Champions League in recent seasons but one would have expected Zesco United and FAZ to learn from what happened with Nkana in 2014 after they became champions and had a fine run in the CAF African Confederations Cup.
It is not fair for Zambian clubs to perform well continentally and do the country proud, and then it is make to look like they are being penalized for that. Zesco United's squad is tired. Their players are burt out. On Saturday, they failed to make major headway in their Zambian Super League title defence after they were held away by Green Buffaloes in Lusaka.
George Lwandamina’s charges finished 1-1 at Independence Stadium to recover slightly from last Wednesday’s 1-0 defeat on the other side of Lusaka at Nkwazi. Midfielder Mwape Mwelwa put Zesco ahead in the 2nd and that is how proceedings remained well into halftime.
However, Sebastian Mwansa stole a point for Buffaloes in the dying minutes of the game when he headed in Allan Mukuka’s cross. The result does very little for Zesco who stay put in fourth place on 51 points, 14 behind leaders Zanaco who only play on Sunday at home against mid-table Forest Rangers.
Zesco now head back home in Ndola after picking up just five out of a possible 12 points during their ten-day league backlog tour of Lusaka that began with a 4-1 win over Red Arrows on October, a 0-0 draw with Zanaco on Saturday before losing 1-0 to Nkwazi last Wednesday. Buffaloes stay fifth on 49 points after picking up their second draw this season against the defending champions following a similar result in the first leg on July 9 at Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola.
Zambian Super League results for week 31
Saturday, 29 October 2016
Nchanga Rangers 1-2 Nkwazi Green Buffaloes 1-1 Zesco United Mufulira Wanderers 0-0 Lumwana Radiants Power Dynamos 5-1 Nakambala Leopards Lusaka Tigers 1-2 Green Eagles
Friday, 28 October 2016
Kabwe Warriors 1-0 Mufulira Blackpool
Sunday, 30 October 2016
Lusaka Dynamos vs Red Arrows Zanaco vs Forest Rangers Nkana vs Napsa Stars