By MICHAEL MIYOBA
“SENSATIONAL” Zanaco FC’s quest to bounce back to winning ways in the MTN/FAZ Super League suffered a drawback after recording their sixth consecutive draw when they were held to a goalless stalemate by Forest Rangers in a rescheduled Week-24 fixture played yesterday at Sunset Stadium in Lusaka.
And Zanaco coach Kelvin Kaindu attributed his team’s failure to convert chances as the reason for their failure to win a game in the last six matches in the Super League.
Kaindu said the sixth consecutive draw gives the bankers a mountain to climb in terms of catching up with teams at the summit of the league table after playing three games ahead to avoid a backlog of fixtures when the Confederations Cup group games kick off in three weeks’ time.
“We are not moving and playing a few games ahead of everyone makes it difficult especially with group stage games ahead it will be hard for us,” Kaindu said.
“We need a strong mentality, we got carried away. If you look at the red card we got I think it is lack of concentration,” Kaindu said.
For Forest Rangers coach Dominic Changwe, who is yet to win a game since replacing Tennant Chembo as head coach, a draw away from home is not a bad result for the Ndola outfit.
Zanaco had started the rescheduled fixture on a positive note and created the first scoring opportunity through captain Moses Phiri sent his effort from outside the box slightly over the bar nine minutes into the second half.
Zanaco almost went ahead 10 minutes before the half hour mark but were unlucky as Forest Rangers goal keeper Daniel Mutshinemu produced a fine save to deny the home side scoring from a free kick.
After settling down, Forest Rangers came close to punishing the home team in the 27th minute when left back Diego Apanane set up Bornwell Mwape who directed his header into goal keeper, Lameck Siame’s hands.
Mwape almost snatched the lead for Forest Rangers five minutes after the half hour mark as he hit the cross bar with a sublime shot from outside the eighteen yard box before sending the rebound wide.
The second half produced less intriguing action with the Bankers coming close in the 82 minute through Phiri who missed a clear chance to score what could have been the match winner.
After being reduced to 10 men following a red card to defender Christopher Muhango in the dying minutes of the game, Zanaco held on to pick a draw which propelled them to 31 points while maintaining eighth position on the Super League table.
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