George Lwandamina says Zesco United will this Saturday face hosts Green Mamba of eSwatini with the mindset of a cup final in their 2019/2020 CAF Champions League preliminary round, first leg tie away in Manzini.
Zesco kickoff their quest for an unprecedented fifth successive group stage appearance in continental competition after three campaigns in the CAF Champions League in 2016, 2018 and 2018/2019 season’s and one in the 2017 CAF Confederation Cup.
Lwandamina said despite his sides’ continental pedigree, Zesco will be cautious but efficient in the match.
“Football is never played like that, you play and then you win, you can’t win before you play,” Lwandamina said.
“We will give them the respect that they deserve but what I can just maybe urge the players is to never to be complacent because they are playing a team they have never met before.
“They have to take this game seriously if we are have to talk about advancing. First, we have to deal with this hurdle.
“So, every stage that we will play is a cup final and that is the mentality we have to take into this game.”’
Meanwhile, Zesco will host Green Mamba in the last leg on August 24 with the victor to face either Township Rollers of Botswana or Young Africans from Tanzania in the pre-group stage in September.
