By KALUMIANA KALUMIANA –

NKANA and Red Arrows battle for the first silverware of the 2014 season this afternoon when they clash in the Samuel ‘Zoom’ Ndholvu Charity Shield final at Arthur Davies Stadium in Kitwe.
The match will be a replay of Nkana and Arrows 2013 final day of the season meeting on November 17that the former won 4-1 to seal an unprecedented 12th league title.
Nkana coach Masauso Mwale said he is hoping for a double of sorts over the 2013 Barclays Cup champions.
Most importantly for Nkana today is a victory will be a great boost ahead of their 2014 CAF Champions League first round, first leg meeting at home against Kampala City Council Authority (KCCA) of Uganda on March 1 across the road in Wusakile at Nkana Stadium.
“It is very important for us and it is twofolds. One, it is giving us an opportunity to see those players who are not registered for CAF so they can help us in the league.
Then it also gives us an opportunity to see how prepared we are for KCCA because I believe Arrows is a good team and they will give us a good game,” Mwale said.
However, Nkana have injury worries heading into the match with five first team starters likely to miss today’s game.
Striker Ronald ‘Sate Sate’ Kampamba is nursing a shoulder injury from last Saturday 5-2 win over Mbabane Swallows while midfielder Claude Bwalya and Kelvin Mubanga too are major doubts.
Lottie Nyimibili and Jimmy Chisenga are the other two casualties.
The good news for Mwale is defender Donashano Malama has recovered and returned to training on Wednesday.
Today’s game could see prodigal son Evans Kangwa start in place of Kampamba to partner Simon Bwalya who shined with a hat trick against Swallows in his new role as an out-and-out striker.
Meanwhile, Arrows face Nkana seeking to avenge their November loss with memories still fresh of Kampamba’s hat trick on the day at Nkana Stadium.
Arrows coach Charles Kafula will be hoping his side can replicate their performance in their come-from-behind 2-1 win over Zesco United in the semi-finals to try and shutter Nkana’s dreams of lifting their first Charity Shield title since 2000.
Kafula, who had injury concerns over striker Stanley Nshimbi and defender Jimmy Chisenga, might play some part depending how fit the two will be ahead of the match.
The coach has the likes of Shadreck Malambo, Bronson Chama, Patrick Musonda and Mundia Lubinda among others to win him the match.