First Round Beths Within Reach of Zesco and Buffaloes

Zesco United tomorrow take on URA of Uganda in the final leg of the two teams Caf Africa Champions League preliminary round tie.

The Ndola club is hoping to comfortably URA ride to the first round in this their debut campaign in the Africa Champions League.

Zesco lead URA 2-0 from the first leg played in Kampala on February 16 and are hoping for another good result against URA.

The match comes in the wake of Zesco’s morale-denting 3-2 post-match penalty defeat last weekend to Kabwe warriors in the Samuel “Zoom” Ndhlovu Charity Shield semifinals played at Nchanga Stadium in Chingola.

However, Zesco will be without the services of injured striker Elson Mkandawire.

Mkandawire has yet to recover from an injury he sustained in training
a week ago that also saw him miss the Charity Shield semifinal against warriors.

However, Nyirenda still has ample firepower at his disposal with Enoch Sakala and Nicholas Zulu both fit are set to lead in attack.

Midfielder and Captain Rainford Kalaba too is available as he anxiously awaits to open his account for the year including his debut goal in CAF club cup competition.

Meanwhile, Zesco host a URA team in the midst of a mini-crisis after the visitors head coach Frank “Video” Anyau left his post on the eve of the team’s departure for Zambia on Monday.

URA is under the temporal charge of goalkeeper Ibrahim Mugisha while a permanent replacement for Anyau is being sort.

Also missing is key striker Ismail Kigoz who is serving an indefinite suspension for insulting a club official after URA’s loss in Zesco a fortnight ago.

Winner of the two-legged tie will face Sudanese champions Al Hilal in the second round who received a first stage.

Al Hilal enjoys a preliminary round bye after reaching the semifinals of last years CAF Africa Champions League.

And at Nkoloma Stadium in Lusaka, Green Buffaloes host Chipukizi of Zanzibar in the final leg, preliminary round of the Caf Confederations Cup.

Buffaloes enjoy a 5-0 lead from the first leg played on Pemba Island on February 16 and are expected to reign over Chipukizi again in what is expected to be a formality match.

Buffaloes should face Highlanders of Zimbabwe who enjoy a 3-0 home lead over their hosts this weekend Ferroviário Nampula a fortnight ago in Bulwayo.