Zesco United hopes of trophy number 5 crashed and burnt today when they lost 3-2 on post-match penalties to 10-man Red Arrows.
Arrows, who lost 2-0 to Zesco in the final of the same competition last year, yanked the Mosi Cup away from the defending champions in the final played at Nkoloma Stadium in Lusaka this afternoon.
The two sides were tied at 2-2 after 90 minutes of action and well into the 30 minutes of extra time played before the dreaded penalty shoot-out.
There was nothing inspiring for the opening 39 minutes of the match until Zesco took the lead through Nicolas Zulu who stamped in a George Phiri throw-in.
Arrows replied a minute later through Lawrence Pondani who rifled in a low shot that skipped off the grass from outside the area to see the two team’s level into the break.
Arrows were reduced to 10 men in the 51st minute after referee Jan Sikazwe gave Goodson Kachinga a red card for a crude tackle on Clifford Chipalo.
Zesco pushed and pressured Arrows thereafter but the airmen were resilient and for most of the remaining period of the match played like they still had 11 men on the field.
Their resilience paid off in the 75th minute when Pondani scored his second of the day after a solo run from the half-way line before he rifled in a sweet volley from the edge of the box.
Zesco replied immediately through striker Enoch Sakala who headed in a Phiri cross.
The 2006 Mosi cup holders will feel a little hard done by when Owen Kaposa was clearly brought down in the area but Sikazwe waved play on before the game was decided by the luck of the lottery penalty shootout.
well done arrows
Well done though Zesco deserved to win after be denied to 2 Straight Penalties. Good Game Zesco and Hard Luck cause you have been a team to watch this season. 35Million is not less.
arrows were denied a penalty too after a handball in the first half. even the red card was mistaken identity as the referee thought it was the same player he had earlier given a yellow card. arrows won deservedly! playing 10 men the whole second half and extra time of 30mins! If Zesco were better they could have taken advantage of their numbers to score and not allowed the game to go to penalties. they need to work extra hard if they are to be force in the champions league. congrats arrows!