Young Africans coach George “Chicken” Lwandamina says he expects Zanaco to go far in the 2017 CAF Champions League after eliminating his side at the first round stage.
Zanaco on Saturday drew goalless with George Lwandamina’s Young Africans at Heroes Stadium in Lusaka in the return leg of the first round to reach the group stage via a 1-1 aggregate score-line thanks
to away goals rule.
The two teams settled for a 1-1 stalemate in the first leg tie played in Tanzania a week earlier.
“They have a chance to reach the semifinals and they have a team,” Lwandamina said.
“One good side of Zanaco is that they play progressive football. They do not retreat,” he said.
2016 FAZ Super Division Champions Zanaco have relegated Lwandamina’s Young Africans to the pre-group stage of the Confederation Cup.
“We have a team to compete in the Confederation Cup. Despite going out of the Champions League we have a good team. It is unfortunate we have bowed out,” Lwandamina said.
Both the 2017 Champions League and Confederation Cup group stages has been expanded 16 teams of four groups and will include two more knockout stages before the final.
The top two finishers from each group will advance to the knockout stage for a place in the quarterfinals that have been added to the previously straight semifinal qualification when it was an eight-team
group stage format.
Empty stadium