. Kalengo

By KALUMIANA KALUMIANA at Nchanga Stadium –
Rangers  1 Zesco 2
ZESCO United yesterday opened a nine-point lead at the summit of the MTN-FAZ Super League table after beating Nchanga Rangers in Chingola to move within touching distance of retaining their crown.
The champions are on 59 points followed by Zanaco and will need just seven points in their remaining five games to secure the title with three games to spare.
However, this Week 25 tie beamed live on SuperSport was almost overshadowed after the final whistle after Luanshya-based referee Derrick Kafuli was accosted by Rangers’ fans for alleged poor officiating.
It also did not help matters as only one police officer was available to escort Kafuli and his assistants to the dressing room as fans complained specifically about Zesco’s opening goal.
There was little to separate the two sides in the opening 15 minutes and Rangers actually had the best effort on goal in that period.
Zesco goalkeeper Jacob Banda reacted quickly in the 12th minute to tip over Felix Nyaende’s free kick.
The deadlock was broken in the 18th minute when striker Lazarous Kambole fired in a cross from the right wing from Cletus Chota.
That goal was contentious with Rangers claiming it was scored from an offside position.
Kambole could have added a second in the 42nd minute after he sliced passed Rangers defence only for goalkeeper Jairus Mulenga to bravely steal the ball off the striker’s feet.
Rangers came back stronger after the break and levelled via a penalty in the 68th minute after Bernard Mapili’s handball, although replays showed otherwise.
Clement Mwape stepped up to send Banda the wrong way.
Zesco persevered and 10 minutes before time Winston Kalengo scored the winner, turning in a long ball from Banda that he scored on the turn with his first touch.
Blades 0 Forest 1
In an early kick-off played at the same venue, Forest Rangers ended their winless streak that haunted them since the resumption of the season, thanks to a convincing hard-fought victory over relegation-threatened Konkola Blades.
Logic Ching’andu volleyed in an all-important goal in the 41st minute to send the Ndola outfit into the break with a goal cushion.
Forest moved level on 27 points with Rangers while Blades remained in the drop zone on 23 points.