Zesco United face familiar company in Group A of the 2019/20 CAF Champions League who include five-time champions and next door neighbors in DR Congo, TP Mazembe.
Premiero de Agosto of Angola is the other foe but Zesco will have to wait until Independence Day to know who will join them in Group A when the delayed final leg date between five-time champions Zamalek and Generation Foot of Senegal is decided.
Mazembe eliminated Zesco from the 2018/2019 CAF Champions League pre-group stage last December after a 2-1 home win in Lubumbashi and 1-1 draw in Ndola that saw George Lwandamina’s side relegated to the CAF Confederation Cup where they advanced to the group stage.
Zesco will host Mazembe on match-day-two in Ndola on December 7.
De Agosto renew rivalries with Zesco for the first time since the 2018 CAF Champions League ,again at the same stage.
Zesco drew 0-0 in Ndola but lost 2-1 away in Luanda of their Group D encounter.
Agosto will host Zesco in their opening Group A match during the weekend of November 29-30 in Luanda.
Agosto,meanwhile, make a quick reunion with Zambian opposition barely a month after ejecting Green Eagles from the pre-group stage after beating the latter 2-1 in Lusaka but lost 1-0 in Luanda to advance on away goals rule.
Zesco’s match-day-three prospective opponents at home in Ndola over Christmas will be Zamalek or Generation Foot whose tie will be decided on October 24.
This is after their September 28 match was abandoned when the Egyptians moved the match from Cairo to Alexandria less than 24 hours before the match citing security concerns.
The Senegalese boycotted the match and returned home in protest over the short notification of the venue change.
Zamalek lost the first leg 2-1 away in Senegal.
CAF, who will foot Generation Foots’ logistics, have directed Zamalek to name the venue by October 12.
Meanwhile in the CAF Confederation Cup, Green Eagles and Zanaco also know their pre-group stage opponents.
Eagles have been draw against HUS Agadir of Morocco.
Eagles will host the 2018/19 CAF Confederation Cup quarterfinalist in the first leg on October 27 before travelling to Morocco for the last leg on November 3.
Zanaco will kick off their pre-group stage race away with a debut trip to Equatorial Guinea to play Cano S.A on October 27 and will be home on November 3.
The Bankers are chasing a third continental group stage appearance since making their league round debut in the 2010 edition of the same competition.
Very interesting but tough group for Zesco.But I believe coach George “Chicken” Lwandamina has the necessary tactical acumen and team to come out tops in this group.
All the best to Green Eagles and Zanaco as well and I believe they will also make it to the CAF Confederation cup group stages.
Good lucky zeal mambo we be behind u waaaaaaa
For the love of God, I pray Zesco wont experience the kind of loadshedding some of us are going through!