Mumamba Numba prepares for his biggest test in his debut season as Zesco United coach when the defending ABSA Cup champions face Lusaka Dynamos in Saturdays final at Woodlands Stadium in Lusaka.
After a slow start to his tenure as Zesco coach, Numba has finally found his feet at the eight-time champions following his appointment last October when he took over from George Lwandamina.
Numba is actually chasing a double and his Zesco side is currently enjoys a seven point lead and on a seven-match winning run in the FAZ Super League with eleven games left to play before that story is included.
“The only secret is how players are quick to adjust. I think we struggled a bit at the beginning of the season because they were trying to adapt to how we wanted them to play but the minute they adopted, everyone has been looking good and working well,” Numba said.
“That is why we are getting results and we only hope we can keep the momentum so that as we are going into this final we work hard so that we try and collect the trophy.”
Zesco heasd into the final chasing an unprecedented seventh ABSA Cup triumph.
Power Dynamos only come close with two titles.
Numba will also be hoping to emulate his predecessor Lwandamina and Beston Chambeshi by winning the ABSA Cup’s with two different teams.
Numba guided Zanaco to their only ABSA Cup title victory in 2017.
Meanwhile, Numba will be banking on the same Zesco side that overwhelmed Konkola Blades 4-0 in last Saturday’s semifinal played at Arthur Davies Stadium in Kitwe.
But out is defender Donashano Malama and midfielder Thabani Kamusoko who both missed the semifinal due to injuries.
Meanwhile, Dynamos head into their first Cup final since 2008 when they were crowned the last-ever BP Top 8 champions.
Ironically, Dynamos beat Zesco 1-0 in that final to deny them the prospect of a clean sweep of silverware that season.
The twist to the tale doesn’t end there because Dynamos’ coach now Wedson Nyirenda was at the helm of that vanquished Zesco side and this Saturday finds himself in a bizarre situation of extending the brief tradition of his clubs record against the Ndola side in a Cup final.
