Zesco United are just three points away from lifting their debut league title after they beat Red Arrows 1-0 this afternoon in a Faz Premier League week 26 match played at Nkoloma stadium in Lusaka.
Zesco shift to 59 points from 26 games and need just three more points to collect an unassailable 62 points to clinch the 2007 league crown that has been vacated by Zanaco.
It was a game that emitted more ether than it pumped out adrenaline with the only sparkling display on the pitch coming from midfield bad boy Rainford Kalaba.
However, Kalaba was not on target and he had a rare yellow-card-free day in the 68 minutes he was on the pitch before being substituted for fellow Zambia international striker Jonas Sakuwaha.
Meanwhile, Zesco were clearly suffering from a hangover after Sundays 5-0 win over Nkana in the Coca Cola Cup finals played at the same venue.
Zesco’s winning goal came in the opening 5th minute of the match through striker Nicholas Zulu who benefited from a poor clearance by defender Lombe Kaluba.
Zesco were reduced to 10 men just after the hour-mark when hard-man defender Rogers Kamwandi received his second yellow card of the day from referee Jan Sikazwe for rough play.
The league leaders then held on as Arrows pinned now 10-man Zesco in their own half but some awful finishing denied Arrows any hope of an equalizer.
Zesco face relegation troubled Zamtel on Saturday in their Week 27 Ndola derby at Musa Kasonka stadium where they will parade the Coca Cola Cup prior to kickoff.
Victory on Saturday for Zesco would hand the City of Ndola its first ever league title.
Well done Team ya Ziko. It is been a long wait.
I congratulate ZESCO in advance although you crashed us (Nkana) 5-0 in the Coke Cup final. You deserve it. All the best for you in the continental club football next year although I doubt your success in the championship. At least you will get some experience.
Zesco is winning the league and congrats to them. But as Nkana we are also winning promotion back to the “elite league”.