Sat, 24 Feb 2018 10:17:11 +0000
By MICHAEL MIYOBA
ZAMBIA’s envoys in the CAF Confederations Cup Nkana Football Club have secured a friendly with 11-times Kenyan Premier League champions Tusker FC.
The club’s chief executive officer Ken Mwansa confirmed the development in an interview from Kitwe.
Mwansa said Nkana will play a few friendly games in Kenya before taking on Algerian giants Belouizdad FC in the second round of the CAF Confederations Cup.
“We are shaping up preparations for the Algeria game with a number of friendlies in Kenya before the team travels to North Africa, we are looking at playing about three games there.
“We have secured one game against Tusker FC this weekend then we will play with other two or one team before we return to Zambia by Tuesday,” Mwansa said.
The 12-times Super League champions were put on bye in the first round of matches and had to await for the winners between Belouizdad and Malian giants Sportive Onze Creatuers De Neirela.
Belouizdad beat Nierela FC 3-1 on aggregate after recording a 1-1 draw in Mali and a 2-0 win at home in the two legged fixture to set up a meeting with Beston Chambeshi’s “Kalampa”.
The six-time Algerian league champions last featured in the Confederations Cup in 2010 when they reached the round of 16 while Nkana reached the group stages in 2014 and will travel to Algeria for the first leg set for 7th March.
Meanwhile, five-times league champions Kabwe Warriors held NAPSA Stars to a goalless draw in the first game of the four team pre-season tournament at Arthur Davies Stadium in Kitwe.
The tightly contested friendly fixture saw both Warriors and NAPSA Stars creating numerous scoring chances but were unfortunate as they could not find the back of the net.
In the second fixture played at Arthur Davies Stadium, tournaments hosts Power Dynamos humiliated Forest Rangers 3-0.
Midfielder Larry Bwala opened the flood gates six minutes into the first half in the match which Power dominated.
Jimmy Ndlovu doubled Power Dynamos’ lead 15 minutes into the second half while Gozon Mutale made it 3-0 10 minutes
before the final whistle.
Power will today host NAPSA Stars in their second fixture at the four team preseason tournament while Kabwe Warriors will play Forest Rangers in a lunch time kickoff.
