• ZANACO midfielder, Potipher Zulu (right) under pressure from Lumwana Radiants’ Lembani Lungu during the 2015 Barclays Cup quarter-final match at Nkoloma Stadium in Lusaka yesterday. Zanaco won 3-0. Picture courtesy of ZANACO FC

By SHAMAOMA MUSONDA Nkoloma Stadium –
Zesco 2 Warriors 0HOLDERS Zesco United and Zanaco yesterday completed the 2015 Barclays Cup semi-final line-up after knocking out lower division teams, Kabwe Warriors and Lumwana Radiants in Lusaka.
Zesco and Zanaco join Nkwazi and Green Buffaloes in the last four of the prestigious cup competition where the eventual champion is guaranteed of K300,000 prize money.
A sleek Zesco took Warriors to the cleaners in this fast-paced quarter-final match, further exposing the gap between Premier and Division One football in the country.
Two early first-half goals by Mwape Mwelwa and Jackson Mwanza proved the difference in this match.
Despite in-form striker Winston Kalengo not scoring, there was enough firepower in the team to put defending champions Zesco on course for a record breaking fifth Barclays Cup title in its nine-year history.
Zesco are record four-time champions with Power Dynamos, who were knocked out by Buffaloes on Saturday, being the closest with two wins.
Red Arrows and Napsa Stars are the other previous winners.
Warriors were actually the better off the blocks with crisp movement and good understanding between twin strikers, Idris Mbombo and Kabeya Kalume which got their fans on their feet.
But the Zesco defence was tight as the Division One South leaders failed to penetrate despite Kalume managing to sneak a shot goalkeeper Jacob Banda saved on 14 minutes.
That seemed only to wake up the champions who surged forward in numbers with sleek movements.
A poor defensive header by Warriors goalkeeper, Lawrence Mulenga outside the box only gifted Mwelwa with an opportunity to send a neat lob over a retreating Under-23 player and into an unguarded net on 13 minutes.
This stunned the otherwise audible Warriors fans but before they could come to terms with what had befallen them, Mwanza pounced on a failed clearance from close range in the 17th minute to double Zesco’s lead.
With Zesco looking dominant in the second half, it was no surprise that coach George Lwandamina never stood to urge on his charges.
Zesco next month play Zanaco in the semi-finals.
Zanaco 3 Lumwana 0
Lumwana Radiants’ first contact with topflight football ended disastrously as they were hit for three and left with a bitter taste in the mouth after playing 40 minutes with a man down.
While Lumwana are on course to get to the premier division for the first time, they were reminded of the need to booster their side next year if they win promotion.
But for Zanaco, it was business as usual as they blew away this Solwezi side with a help of an improved second half performance and keep alive their hunt for their first Barclays Cup title.
After a balanced start to the game the nerves of Lumwana goalkeeper, Sailas Simunyona were exposed after he spilled what should have been an easy routine save on six minutes. When Zanaco had a free-kick on 15 minutes, Simunyola was further exposed.
He poorly assembled the wall which allowed full-back Fackson Chipumbu to bend the ball round the wall and into the net.
A minute after restart, right-back Ziyo Tembo doubled Zanaco’s advantage and four minutes later saw centre-back Lee Ngoma poke the ribs of Lumwana’s Roger Mulenga who responded with an elbow and got sent off.
Capitalising on the numerical advantage, Zanaco got the third through George Chilufya for his first goal since joining the club from Nchanga Rangers.