By FELIX MALUNGA –
ZESCO United face a tricky CAF Champions League test this afternoon when they host an ambitious Mbabane Swallows of Swaziland whose ruler King Mswati has directed them to score at least five goals in Ndola.
Apart from the King Mswati’s demand for goals, Swallows also clinched a landmark sponsorship deal with that country’s construction giants, Inyatsi Construction Group Holdings prior to their trip to Zambia.
So Zesco, one of the best sponsored teams in Zambia, will today be up against an equally motivated Swallows in this decisive fixture set for the elegant Levy Mwanawasa Stadium.
Having drawn the first leg of this preliminary round 1-1 in Mbabane a fortnight ago, Zesco will need an outright win to progress to the next round of Africa’s prestigious club football competition.
Zesco coach George Lwandamina believes the Zambian champions have done enough to knock-out the Swazi side.
“We’ve improved on our weaknesses. We’ve played them before, we know what to expect,” a confident Lwandamina said.

• SWAZILAND’S Mbabane Swallows players on arrival at Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe International Airport in Ndola yesterday for the CAF Champions League match against Zesco United. Picture by FELIX MALUNGA

But Swallows, who are making their third straight visit to Zambia since 2013, have vowed to not to be knocked out here again.
“Zambian clubs have always given us problems. I hope this time they (Zesco) will be in for a surprise. We play well away and this gives us confidence ahead of Saturday’s game,” Swallows coach, Siyabonga Bhembe told the local media in Swaziland.
Swallows were in 2013 knocked out of the Champions League by Zanaco in 2013 through a 3-2 scoreline over two legs.
Last year, Swallows after beating Nkana 2-0 in Mbabane crumbled badly in the return leg, losing 5-2 in Kitwe and get eliminated on a 5-2 aggregate.
The fact that Swallows has been scoring against Zambian opposition is another force driving them.
“We’re a very attacking team and we always score goals whether home or away. This shows that we’re a very competitive team,” Swallows chief executive officer, Sibusiso Manana bragged on arrival at Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe International Airport in Ndola yesterday.
However, Bhembe has some injury worries to contend with and hopes winger Wonder Nhleko, who is struggling with fitness after an ankle problem, will be ready for today’s clash.
Lwandamina has no such worries as midfielder-cum-defender Kondwani Mtonga managed to shake off an ankle strain sustained during last weekend’s Charity Shield semi-final match against Nkana.
He is equally confident of Zesco’s progression to the next stage where either Sewe Sport of Ivory Coast or Guinea’s AS Kaloum will be awaiting them.
“We have to progress to the next round. It was going to be best maybe if we had won that game in Swaziland. They gave them an equaliser which was a dubious one,” Lwandamina said after returning from Mbabane where Zesco claimed Felix Badenhorst’s goal was controversial.
To ensure the record is put straight today, Lwandamina will be hoping for maximum concentration from his charges.
Skipper Jacob Banda should take up his position with Mtonga partnering Emmanuel Mathias in central defence while Justin Zulu, the scorer for Zesco in Mbabane, anchoring the midfield.
Zambia’s 2014 Golden Boot Winner, Jackson Mwanza and Winston Kalengo, the Most Disciplined Player, leading the search for Zesco goals.
Swallows captain Tony Tsabedze is expected to lead his teammates in their quest to empty Zesco from the Champions League.
Apart from Tsabedze and Badenhorst, the Ghanaian pair of Mike Mohammad Anas and Christian Kassim plus Nigerian striker Daniel Okoye are other potential winners for Swallows.