By SAMUEL LUKHANDA –
COACH ‘Chicken’ George’ Lwandamina remains certain Zesco United will turn around their slow start to the Total CAF 2018 Champions League group stages.
Lwandamina said this after he watched his side held 1-1 at home by group stage debutants Mbabane Swallows in Group D.
But Lwandamina said people should not read too much into the draw because it was still early days in the Champions League and Zesco would make necessary adjustments going forward.
“The league itself is in its infancy. I am sure we will be able to adjust and correct the mistakes. We have some more games to play. Despite drawing at home, it does not always mean we can’t win away from home. This is football,” said the returning Zesco coach in the post match conference at Levy Mwanawasa.
Zesco were held to draw by the ‘Birds’ at Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola in a game they dominated but got letdown by their finishing and allowed the visitors pinch a point away from home.
It had to take their central defender David Owino Odhiambo to score their only goal but that was cancelled out by Swallows’ substitute Mangaliso Shongwe late in the game.
Lwandamina said Zesco was the better side between the two and showed intent but it was not just their day as they failed to convert a myriad of chances.
Zesco would be heading to Tunisia for the next game in the group against Etiole Sportif du Sahel who produced an identical scoreline against Primero de Agosto in Luanda to leave the group wide open after the first round of group games.
Swallows coach Thabo Vilakati was satisfied after his side picked a point and promise to even do better in Swaziland.
“For us, a point gained away from home is very vital and we will take it,” Vilakati said.
Vilakati said Swaziland teams have been whipping boys to Zambian teams for far too long but that his side was trying to change the narrative after they eliminated Zanaco and drew the first against Zesco.
When quizzed about his team’s negative approach, Vilakati said Swallows played a big team in Zesco and they could not go toe-to-toe otherwise they could have been finished off.
“When playing a giant like Zesco, you don’t just jump in like a swimming pool. You have to be tactically disciplined. We had a plan and that’s it,” he said.

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