By RONALD CHAWE –
LEAGUE leaders KPF goes into a tricky game against a resurgent Green Eagles hoping to profit from the out-of-action and second placed Red Arrows to move closer to the league title.
Elsewhere, another key fixture will see Diggers aiming to go as a sole second placed team and break away from the joint position they are currently sharing with Red Arrows.
KPF v Eagles
Frontrunners KPF will look to get closer to winning the title at home when they welcome Green Eagles with both teams glowing from registering victories last weekend.
KPF saw-off Mufulira B 22-10 to move to 42 points and be nine points clear especially with some help from second placed Arrows drawing at home to Nkwazi while Diggers profited from that by hammering Nchanga 91-3 to join Arrows in second.
Eagles on the other hand thumped Konkola 81-0 to jump to fourth with 31 points.
KPF coach Maybin Sinkala will look to Carlos Kanyama, George Mwamba, Joe Bwalya junior, Charles Tembo and Fine Chikumbe to deliver the key win over visiting Eagles, who have some experience in the ranks in Thaddius Chipoya, Enock Mwape,Daniel Njovu and Martin Chisanga.
Players the two teams will line up can win big games on any day and this makes for an explosive encounter at Garden Park in Kitwe.
Mufulira- A v Diggers
‘Men-at-Work’, Diggers, who have two games in hand,will leapfrog Arrows with a win away to Mufulira–A, a team they would rather not meet at such a crucial time.
Diggers coach Lawrence Njovu, who is also national 15s assistant trainer, has enough material in Jason Thole, Brian Mbalwa and Jubilee Chisenga to dispatch a fast-improving Mufulira-A, who have been winning when least expected.
The host are currently seventh on the table with 22 points but even at their weakest point, they have given their all against Diggers and the Kitwe side knows they are in for a rough afternoon.
Nchanga v Buffaloes
Fifth placed Buffaloes travel to Nchanga widely expected to win and hope results at other pitches go their way so they can go second.
Buffaloes have 31 points, same with Eagles but will be smiling as Nchanga have been the whipping boys in the league and are yet to collect a single point in eight attempts.
Lusaka v Mufulira-B
Former champions ‘Powerhouse’ Lusaka, hosts Mufulira-B as they seek to bounce back from an unfortunate 19-15 loss last week to Buffaloes and will hope Kapelele Kasitu, Hanschel Chola,Temwani Nkoloko and Saulos Banda can deliver.
Lusaka have a poor tally of 24 points and their prospects today will not be helped by the stubborn nature of this Mufulira-B side.
In other matches to be played across the cities, eighth placed Nkwazi have a date with troubled Roan while Konkola engage fellow struggling Kansanshi with ‘Killer Bees’ Ndola Wanderers entertaining Chibuluma at Wanderers Club in Ndola.