Power Dynamos coach Perry Mutapa insists he is not feeling any pre-Kitwe derby pressure ahead of Sunday’s home date against Nkana because he has experienced that big derby temperament as a player.
Mutapa will be in charge of his first Kitwe derby following his appointment three games ago at Power Dynamos after quitting his post at Forest Rangers in late November.
As a player, Mutapa featured in the Soweto derbies during his stint at Orlando Pirates from 2004 to 2006.
“For us it is obviously our first derby, but as a soccer payer, we are used to these derbies. We enjoyed playing in one of the biggest derbies in Africa which is Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates but this will be new to us,”Mutapa said.
Interestingly, Mutapa heads into his first Kitwe derby unbeaten against Nkana in his last three league games in charge at Forest dating back to the 2019 transitional season with two wins and a draw.
This season, Forest beat Nkana 1-0 at home in Ndola on September 29 after winning 2-1 away in Kitwe last May and drawing 2-2 in February during the 2019 transitional campaign.
“It is football, yes at Forest we beat Nkana but this is different Nkana. This season we beat them after they came from a home loss against Mufulira Wanderers,” Mutapa said.
“But after we (Forest) beat them, they are having now gone eight games without a loss so I think it is the in-form team so it will be a different ball game.”
Nkana also head to Power after a big result on December 14 against leaders and defending FAZ Super Division champions Zesco United whom they defeated 1-0 in Kitwe to end the visitors unbeaten league start in the 2019/2020 campaign.
But Power too are currently on a four-match unbeaten run and head into the derby on the back of three straight league wins for the first time this season.
“Last weekend we watched Nkana beat probably the biggest team in the land Zesco United, so they are coming with confidence to try and win this game,” Mutapa said.
“But we can’t rule ourselves our because we are playing at home and we are also coming from a win.”
