Zesco United’s triumvirate bench is set for its third and probably biggest test since it was constituted in December when the ailing Ndola giants face the defending FAZ Super League champions Red Arrows this Saturday away at Nkoloma Stadium in Lusaka.
Coach George Lwandamina, his assistant Tennant Chilumba and technical director Honour Janza were hired in December to steer the nine-time champions from the fringes of the relegation zone in Zesco’s last 17 games of this season in what is also the team’s worst spell since 2011.
The trio has so far collected 2 points from as many games played and Zesco sits three places above the relegation zone at number 12 on 22 points.
Zesco is currently five points behind Arrows and a further fourteen points behind leaders Power Dynamos.
The two draws Zesco has posted came against 8th-placed Prison Leopards last weekend and a 0-0 Ndola derby home draw against second-placed Forest Rangers on December 10.
And now Zesco faces an Arrows side that not only beat them 1-0 at home in Ndola in the first leg but also dethroned them as Zambian champions last season in which they settled for second best.
Arrows are 6th with 27 points but head into Saturday’s date with huge problems of their own carrying the heavy load of four successive league defeats.
And Should Zesco add to Arrows’ misery and leave Nkoloma with a victory, it may help give some credibility to a turning point in what is looking like a bumpy final countdown in the remaining 14 games.
2022/2023 FAZ SUPER DIVISION
WEEK 19
14/01/2023
Red Arrows-Zesco United
FC MUZA-Green Eagles
Chambishi -Green Buffaloes
Lumwana Radiants-Power Dynamos
Nchanga Rangers-Zanaco
Nkana-Buildcon
Prison Leopards-Kansanshi Dynamos
Forest Rangers- Kabwe Warriors
15/01/2023
Nkwazi-Napsa Stars
