FAZ has confirmed that the 2018 football season will kick-off on March 3 starting with the Samuel ‘Zoom’Ndhlovu Memorial Charity Shield semifinals that will be played in Lusaka.
Zanaco, Napsa Stars, 2017 runners-up Nkana and holders Zesco United will converge on Nkoloma Stadium for a semi-final doubleheader in March.
The semi-final draws will see Zanaco face Nkana in the lunchtime kickoff while Napsa and Zesco will clash in the 15h00 kickoff for a place in the Charity Shield final to be played on March 10 at the same venue.
The Napsa-Zesco showdown is the repeat of the 2017 Barclays Cup semifinal that the latter lost 4-2 on post-match penalties after a 0-0 draw at the same venue.
Napsa joined the top three league finishers in the semifinals after finishing runners-up in the 2017 Barclays Cup final that they lost 2-1 to Zanaco.
The Barclays Cup winner qualifies for the fourth Charity Shield slot but since Zanaco finished second in the league, Napsa take up that slot instead.
And the FAZ Super Division will kick off on March 17 a week after the Charity Shield final.
