Zambia Super League back with a bang this weekend

The Zambia Super League will make a return this weekend, just the second domestic championship on the African continent to resume their 2019-20 campaign after a pause for the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) have managed to join Tanzania in resuming football after extensive preparations and with matches behind closed doors, deciding the title on the pitch in what should be a thrilling run to the end of the season.

It starts with catch-up games that had been postponed due to teams’ participation in African club competitions, and Saturday will see a heavyweight clash between league leaders Forest Rangers and Zanaco at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium.

Sunday features a double-header at the same venue as defending champions Zesco United taking on relegation-threatened Kansanshi Dynamos, and Buildcon are up against Power Dynamos.

After a break of four months, there will be great uncertainty as to the form and fitness of teams, which could be a leveller on the pitch, admits Zesco coach George Lwandamina.

“This is a new phenomenon for everyone,” he told his club’s website. “It is also a big challenge for any team because we have only two weeks to prepare our players for league action after being out of business for over four months.

“I know players were training independently but that’s not enough. A player can only do better with a coach behind him.

“These players need support and monitoring to push them to get to the pain barrier. One’s body mechanism is in such a way that not until you go over the pain barrier can one compensate their energy. That is fitness required in our football unfortunately that’s not the case.

“It is good that we have had a break to recover. However, the battle we face today is getting these players to maximum fitness for games, which I doubt will happen. At the moment we are rushing our programs in readiness for weekend fixtures.

“I know my players have played a lot of games from the last campaign without resting which automatically leads to one’s body burning down. However, it’s not everyone who will be able to adjust and that applies to other teams too.”

Both Rangers and Zanaco had been on a run of four wins and a draw from their previous five games before the pause in the season, but Zanaco have won the last six meetings between the clubs dating back to 2016, so history is heavily in their favour.

In fact, Rangers have won only three of their last 23 games against their opponents, with just a single success in the last 11 years.

Rangers have been boosted by the return of their top-scorer this season, Zikiru Adams, after the Ghanaian forward arrived back in the country this week having returned home due to the pandemic.

The only recent meeting between Zesco and Kansanshi Dynamos resulted in a 2-1 away win for the former in October, while Buildcon have just a single win in seven previous meetings with Power Dynamos.

There are 34 rounds of the Zambia Super League and it is set for a thrilling finish. Forest Rangers lead the league with 46 points from their 24 games, followed by NAPSA Stars (45 from 25), Green Eagles (44 from 24), Nkana (43 from 24), Zesco United (42 from 24) and Lusaka Dynamos (40 from 25).

All matches will be played behind closed doors, but selected games will be live on SuperSport.

Meanwhile, FAZ have warned clubs against breaking COVID-19 protocols, or they could be fined or hit with a points deduction.

“We are greatly concerned that some clubs have relaxed their adherence to the covid-19 guidelines. We should never forget that the league resumption can always be halted if clubs do not adhere to the set guidelines,” FAZ General Secretary Adrian Kashala says.

“The Ministry of Health has been keeping an eye on the preparations and have raised the whistle on us in the manner some clubs are neglecting to observe the set guidelines.

“Clubs will face stiff penalties for breaching COVID-19 guidelines that could even extend to losing points or matches being cancelled,” he says.