By NDINAWE SIMPELWE –
ZESCO United may have demolished Mufulira Blackpool 5-0 in a league match on Saturday to get their fifth win in five matches, but coach George Lwandamina says his team is still under construction.
And Mufulira Blackpool coach Weston Mumba says his inexperienced side is learning the hard way how tough the Premier League is.
Zesco have looked a better side this season so far compared to their previous two title winning seasons but the coach feels there were a number of negatives that needs to be mended.
Lwandamina said he observed how sluggish his side was and easily gave away possession which could be costly when playing bigger or experienced sides.
“There are positives and negatives, the coordination is so far so good but if you saw how we were losing the ball. As much as we wanted to keep the ball, at some point we were sluggish and they could dispossess us,” said Lwandamina.
And Mumba said he was not bitter with his players despite the heavy defeat because they were still learning.
He said he had a young and exciting team which would soon come to terms with the challenges of playing in the top flight but remained confident that the Blackpool would not be relegated at the end of the season.
“Zesco has played good football compared to my little boys I have who are not yet an experienced side. We just joined the Super League. There is still enough room to improve. But I’m not bitter with the five goals, I still have hope we will remain in the Super League.
“At least we have played the big teams, I’m sure the boys have leant what I have been telling them. They have seen it for themselves that this is how Super League football is,” said Mumba.
Blackpool are yet to win a game this season but Mumba was confident that the team would win the next game against Red Arrows.
Nkwazi coach Elijah Chikwanda has urged his charges to keep the momentum after they beat Forest Ranger 1-0 in Ndola to move into third position on the MTN-FAZ log, RONALD CHAWE writes.
Chikwanda said his side was not a title contender but that he was more interested in the team keeping the momentum in the coming fixtures.
“The issue of us being contenders at the moment is not necessary, what is necessary for Nkwazi is to keep the momentum in the coming fixtures,” he said.
And Forest Rangers coach Simonda Kaunda said he was not distracted by criticism from fans and expressed hope that his side would start collecting maximum points soon.
Forest have played seven games winning once, two draws and four loses and are currently perched third from the bottom of on the log.
In Lusaka, Napsa may have picked up their first win of the season in a 1-0 victory over Kabwe Warriors but that did little or nothing to change coach Wilson Mwale’s attitude as he once again said “no comment” to all press queries YVONNE SAKALA reports.
With news filtering through that Mwale had been fired hours before yesterday’s game, the coach refused to even say anything about his situation.
His defeated rival Mohammed Fathy said losing a game does not mean the end of the world and that his aim remained to finishing in top four.
And SANDRA MWILA reports that Power Dynamos coach Tenant Chilumba said he was not worried about his job and that his main focus would be to concentrate on the team.
The coach said in an interview after watching his team loose to Green Buffaloes 2-1 in a week-eight fixture adding his team played a good game and they will go back to the drawing board and rectify their mistakes.
And Buffaloes coach Bilton Musonda attributed the win to his hard working players but admitted the game was tough.
Musonda said it was not easy to beat Power especially that they have a skillful team.