Leaders Zesco United take the short trip down to Masala on Saturday to play hosts and bottom of the table Zamtel FC at Musa Kasonka stadium in the two sides first ever top-flight Ndola derby.
The match could mark Peter Kaumba’s a second turning point in his brief reign at Zamtel in a space of an eventful five days after the club fired his assistant Stephen Mwansa this week for allegedly tying to undermine the head coach’s authority.
Moreover, how much momentum Zamtel’s 1-0 first ever top-flight win on May 1 away to fellow promoted Young Arrows can be sustained will be an interesting to witness against Zesco who are unbeaten in 7 successive games in which they have drawn just twice.
Meanwhile Zesco, on 23 points, will remain top of the table win an 8th win this weekend.
And the race to try and stay in touch with Zesco isn’t at all uneventful led by 2nd place Lusaka Dynamos.
Dynamos are in their best top-flight form since 2002 when they stayed in the top 5 for the first half of the season before losing steam to finish 9th.
The number 2 side is at home and host 7th placed Kabwe Warriors who are looking to avoid their second successive defeat to a Lusaka club after City of Lusaka beat them 1-0 in Kabwe last Tuesday.
4th placed and defending league champions Zanaco are home and take on Konkola Blades who are just above them on the log in the two side’s battle for 2nd place and to stay in touch with leaders Zesco.
Elsewhere, City awaits Green Buffaloes while Nchanga Rangers are also home where they play Nakambala Leopards.
Power Dynamos too stay home this weekend and will be trying to avoid an embarrassing result when National Assembly come calling.
4th from bottom Assembly this week suspended head coach Alfred Lupiya and his placed steps in his assistant and former Power midfielder Alex Namazaba who takes on his ex-club in what will be his debut at the helm of a club.
The rest of this weekend’s Faz Premier League week 12 fixtures will see Young Arrows away at Forest Rangers and Roan United traveling to Lusaka to take on fellow relegation zone occupants Red Arrows.
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Zambia soccer team to play two friendlies with Namibia
The Namibia national soccer team has confirmed its willingness to play Zambia in two friendlies as part of the preparations for next month’s Africa Cup qualifiers, local newspaper The Post reported Thursday.
Namibia’s coach Ben Bamfuchile was cited as saying he had been in touch with Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) over the preparations and talks between the two sides are going on smoothly.
Zambia is scheduled to play against Chad and Congo Brazzaville next month to supplant South Africa in Group 11 to qualify for the 2008 Ghana African Cup of Nations.
Namibia would also take the opportunity to warm up ahead of the matches against Libya and Democratic Republic of Congo, Bamfuchile said.
He however noted that the dates and venues for the two friendlies have not been finalized with FAZ.
Bamfuchile said FAZ and the Namibian football federation were yet to agree on whether both games could be played in Namibia or be split between the two countries.
Source: Xinhua