Five days after being on the same side of the cause, Zesco United coach George Lwandamina and Green Eagles coach Aggrey Chiyangi will sit in opposite dugouts this Saturday in a 2019/2020 FAZ Super Division clash at Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola.
The encounter comes in the wake of Lwandamina and Chiyangi’s Chipolopolo assignment in the 2021 AFCON Group H qualifiers against Algeria and Zimbabwe that Zambia lost 5-0 away on November 14 and 2-1 at home in Lusaka on November 19 respectively.
Zesco head into the game unbeaten and enjoying a 100 percent start to the 2019/20 league season leading on 27 points from nine games with a match in hand.
Eagles are sixth on 14 points from seven matches with three games in hand and are one of two sides with one league loss this season together with second placed Napsa Stars.
Eagles and Zesco also renew rivalries six months after meeting in the 2019 transitional season playoff final on June 29 in Lusaka .
Lwandamina’s side won that final 3-1 on post-match penalties following a 0-0 draw to see the eight-time champions retain the league title for third successive season.
However, Lwandamina said the match will not be about personalities but about proceedings on the pitch.
Lwandamina returns to club action together with eight players who were also away on AFCON duty for their respectively national teams.
They are Burundi midfielder Enock Sabumukama , the Kenya duo of Jesse Were and Anthony Akumu and Zimbabwean Thabani Kamusoko.
Defenders Mwila Phiri and Clement Mwape were on Chipolopolo duty while Shemmy Mayembe and Solomon Sakala were on 2019 U23 AFCON assignment in Egypt.
“The players who didn’t go anywhere continued to train very well and those that who were out, have trained well in the last two days,” Lwandamina said.
“Meaning the team has blended well and are ready for the task ahead.”
Eagles on the other hand welcome back midfielder Amity Shemande who was on Chipolopolo duty earlier with the CHAN team away in Namibia on November 11 where they beat their hosts 2-0 in a friendly in Windhoek.
Meanwhile, Eagles head to Zesco where they last won a league match in 2009.
Since then, Zesco has won all seven home games but lost two and winning three away matches in Choma.
FAZ SUPER DIVISION WEEK 12 FIXTURES
23/11/2019
Zesco United-Green Eagles
Red Arrows-Nkwazi
Green Buffaloes-Kabwe Warriors
Mufulira Wanderers-Forest Rangers
Lusaka Dynamos-Kabwe Youth Soccer Academy
Napsa Stars-Zanaco
-Independence Stadium, Solwezi
13h00:Lumwana Radiants-Nkana
15h00:Kansanshi Dynamos-Buildcon
24/11/2019
-Arthur Davies Stadium, Kitwe
Power Dynamos-Nakambala Leopards
