Three Zambian coaches will be up for some big first round tests in the next stage of this year’s Orange Caf Champions League this March.
Fighton Simukonda, Patrick Phiri and George Chikokola guided Zesco United, Simba of Tanzania and Young Buffaloes from Swaziland respectively to the first round of the Champions League.
Interestingly, Simukonda and Chikokola will come head-to-head in the first round with Zesco hosting Champions League debutants Young Buffaloes on March 19 on the Copperbelt.
And coincidentally, both Zesco and Young Buffaloes advanced 4-2 on aggregate after suffering similar 2-1 defeats in their away preliminary round, return leg matches over the weekend after earlier winning their respective first legs 3-0.
Meanwhile, Phiri will face the biggest test of them all when Simba take on CAF Champions League holders TP Mazembe of DR Congo.
This is after Simba eliminated Elan Club de Mistoudje from the Comoros who pushed Phiri’s side to the wire when they took a shock lead against their hosts before losing 4-2 away on Sunday in Dar-es-Salaam after drawing 0-0 in the first leg a fortnight ago.
Simba will surely be feeling the heat again after scrambling to qualify to the first round as they will be traveling to Lubumbashi in the first leg next month to face the 2009 and 2010 African club champions.
WEEK SCORECARD
2011 ORANGE CAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE PRELIMINARY ROUND RTN LEG
12/02/2011
Maputo, Mozambique
Liga Muculmana (Moz) 2(Manuel Mbarango 24″, Dario Monteiro 58″)- Zesco United 1(Portipher Zulu 37″)*
13/02/2011
Victoria, Seychelles
Saint Michel (Sey) 2- Young Buffaloes (Swzi) 1*
Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania
Simba SC (TZ) 4(Mbwana Samata 45″ 56″, Patrick Ochan 47″, Amri Kiemba ?”)-Elan Club Mistoudje 2(Madaha Mohamed 42″, Abdulkarim Sanjema 63″)
1ST RND
19/02/2011
*Zesco United-Young Buffaloes
TOP SCORERS
12/02/2011
Kangwa Chileshe (Zesco): 3
Portipher Zulu (Zesco United): 2
Chakwa Lungu (Zesco United) 1
Jackson Mwanza (Zesco United):1
Alfred Luputa (Zesco United): 1
Lewis Macha (Nchanga Rangers): 1
What doez this “TOP SCORERZ” reprezent?