City Spoil Zanaco’s Party Mood

10-man City of Lusaka left Faz Premier League title contenders Zanaco bruised and sore after leaving Sunset Stadium with a shocking 1-0 win over the log leaders.

The result ,means Zanaco must win away at Kabwe Warriors on Sunday to collect the league but a draw for them and a win for Zesco United at home against Chambishi on the same date will be enough to hand the latter their third successive league title.
Meanwhile, today’s match was a game of two halves.

The first half produced about the best and eye-catching football I have watched to date in 45-minute period.

However, the second half degenerated into boring, rough and ether-inducing display of football with a heavy dose of North African style football thrown-in courtesy of the men from Woodlands Stadium.

Zanaco threatened in the opening quarter of the first half led by Allan Mukuka and tried to intimidate City with the same shock and awe sweeping movements that work so well against Chambishi last Wednesday whom the annihilated 4-1 at the same venue.

Sadly, City rolled-up their sleeves and refused to be cowed by Zanaco’s attacking trio of Mukuka, Makundika Sakala and Winston Kalengo.

And bang on 16 minutes a resolute City took the lead through midfielder and former Zanaco player Lawrence Lubinda who stamped in the ball with his right foot inside the six-yard box.

City then suffocated Zanaco and the lack of air supply was very evident as Mukuka, Sakala and Kalenga now drowning, periodically came up to take a gaps of air.

The early signs of the ugly side of City’s game to come later in the second half firstly manifested themselves in the 21 minute when their coach Happy Sichikolo was sent off for decent for uttering something unsavory to the match officials.

It was the second time that Sichikolo had been sent off in another big Lusaka derby game in less than 40 days after also seeing red on October 11 away to Green Buffaloes in a match City won 2-1 at Edwin Emboela Stadium.

And in the 35th minute, Zanaco came close to leveling scores through Sakala but his trademark header was easily dealt with by City goalkeeper Yombwe Chabala who gathered the tall striker’s effort.

The game changed shape in the second half with City resorting to the theatrics of delaying tactics that eventually cost them a goalkeeper.

Yombwe was sent off just before the hour mark for delaying tactics for allegedly faking an injuring and limped off after he received his second yellow of the day.

City players then got away with some crude tackling before taking a page from the Arab football book on delaying tactics; diving and rolling on the slightest of contact much to the dismay of a packed Sunset Stadium.

However, replacement goalkeeper William Chibale was the only City player who had the decency of sticking to the fundamentals of football and also made some important saves from Zanaco’s frustrated attack.

At the end of the match, Zanaco locked themselves away in the dressing room to digest the defeat while City’s convoy led by their barmy bunch of supporters with lights flashing and car hooters ringing, snaked their way through the heavy 17:00 traffic back across town to celebrate at Woodlands.

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