-Rainford Kalaba has been ruled out of Zesco United’s Caf Africa Champions League clash against Al Hilal to be played this Saturday at the Trade Fair Grounds in Ndola due to injury.
The midfielder has failed to recover from an ankle injury that has plagued him for the last one and a half months.
Kalaba has struggled for fitness since playing for Zesco in the preliminary round of the competition against URA of Uganda in a 2-0 win over the latter on February 16 in Kampala.
The influential midfielder subsequently limped off in Zesco’s next two competitive matches and has been out of action ever since.
Kalaba also failed to make the Under-23 team’s Caf Africa Nations Championship game against Swaziland last weekend due to the same injury.
Meanwhile, Al Hilal arrived in Ndola via charter flight on Tuesday night.
The Sudanese league champions who lead Zesco 2-0 from the first leg played a fortnight ago are training from Wanderers club in Ndola ahead of this weekends crucial clash.
-Green Buffaloes this afternoon left for politically tense Zimbabwe ahead of this Sunday Caf Confederations cup match against Highlanders ion Bulawayo.
Buffaloes have declared they are going to play football and not politics in Zimbabwe that is in the midst of political uncertainty due to a protracted delay in releasing of the full general election results in that country.
Highlanders and Buffaloes are level on 1-1 from the first leg played at Nkoloma Stadium in Lusaka on March 22 going into this weekends first round, final leg clash.
However, Buffaloes will travel to Bulawayo minus first choice goalkeeper Mike Poto who has a family bereavement.
Taking Poto’s place will be Brian Mulenga while Dave Kaumbwa will be first choice in the Zambia international absence.