July 19, 2009
**Finnish-based brothers Donewell and Dominic Yobe both scored for AC Oulu, as they thrashed northern rivals PS Kemi Kings 6-0. Look for a full players abroad review in the coming days.**
Zesco United and Kano Pillars occupy the top slots of Group A of the MTN CAF Champions League after Sudanese giants El Merreikh at home played out to a 0-0 draw against Al Hilal at the venue used by both sides in Khartoum in the later on Saturday. Only the top two teams qualify for the semi-finals due in October.
Earlier, Zesco United failed to take loads of chances to secure an outright win at home to allow the Nigerian side to equalise and steal the draw. But the scoreless draw in Khartoum means both sides in the scoring draw top Group A.
Zesco looked to have done enough when they scored through Rodgers Kamwandi in the first half only for Pillars to rebound in the second half with a Hillary Chukwu strike restoring parity for the visitors.
Pillars Coach Ivo Scheck admitted that his charges were poor in spite of the draw and lauded Zesco as a good side:
”I am disappointed that my team did not play according to my instructions. I missed the services of some of the players that are with the Nigerian Under 20 team”
His opposite number Fighton Simukonda rued the myriad scoring chances that his team missed:
”I am very disappointed with the boys for failing to take the chances we created. I am not happy with the result, this was our game and we should have collected three points today, but the lads made costly mistakes.”
Group B Matches are being played Sunday with Etoile Du Sahel, the team Zambia’s Fwayo Tembo is reportedly ditching due to salary payment problems playing away to first timers Monomutapa of Zimbabwe while Zambia’s other interests involve the clash in Lumbubashi where Given Singuluma is expected to make his CAF Champions League debut for T.P Mazembe against Signs & Wonders Chibambo’s Nigerian side Heartland Football Club.
The next round of matches in the MTN CAF Champions League are due in the first weekend of August with Zesco United travelling to Sudan.
35 Comments on "Zesco, Pillars top Group A as Sudanese giants draw"
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Jiggyboy on Sun, 19th Jul 2009 2:23 PM
Good news for Zambia (ZESCO). The result from Sudan means that this group is far from being decided and Zesco still has a great chance of qualifying. Let the players die a little.
Justice Kafusha on Sun, 19th Jul 2009 3:05 PM
This problem of strikers in Zambia is becoming a huge problem. Zesco united need to find a former striker who was good at scoring goals to assistant trainer for strikers. Bayern Munich in Germany has done just that, they have got Gerld Muller as coach for strikers and it works. To be a good striker is not just to shoot at goal any how, there is more to it beleive me you. I have seen srikers like late Benard “Bomber” Chanda, John “Fuso” Lengwe, Lewis Shambulo, Marco Van Basten, Hugo Sanches, Paulo Rossi, Garry Linerker etc, they had something special and that was timing. Some people are born with that striker thing but there are others who have to learn and this is not impossible. The same goes for our strikers with proper coaching they can learn, and this should start at club level
This goes for goalkeepers as well most teams in Europe have former goalkeepers training goalkeepers especially at club level. I do not know if we have a club in Zambia that has a former goalkeeper as trainer for goalkeepers. Just a contribution from my way of looking at things
Cheers
Justice Kafusha on Sun, 19th Jul 2009 3:30 PM
Our Zambian players need to work hard, just look at Togo’s Emmanuel Adebayor he has signed a 5 year contract with Manchester City and will be pocketing £180,000 a week.
nsomba on Sun, 19th Jul 2009 6:18 PM
Monomutapa have just beaten Etoile Du Sahel by 2goals to 1 .Good result for the Zimbabweans .
Gametime12 on Sun, 19th Jul 2009 10:43 PM
TP and Heartland played any details on our players performance’s in those matches?
Justice Kafusha on Sun, 19th Jul 2009 11:04 PM
TP Mazembe beat Heartland 2-0. Other news; Sakuwaha has impressed the French club where he went for trails
Cheers and goodnite
Justice Kafusha on Sun, 19th Jul 2009 11:08 PM
There are no full details but the results are on bbc.com
nsomba on Mon, 20th Jul 2009 12:35 AM
T.P. Mazembe Englebert – Congo, The Democratic Republic Of The48′ MPUTU MABI
77′ Alain Carré
2 : 0 Heartland FC – Nigeria
Georgia Russia on Mon, 20th Jul 2009 7:21 AM
sakuwaha passes trials,,good news for our players after many of them failing to pass trials.
Uncle Bobs on Mon, 20th Jul 2009 7:24 AM
Ba Justice,
Amakhumbi do have Steven Mwansa ex-Zambia and Nkana Red Devils, one of the most qualified keepers (Scotland Trained. Johnstone Katowando and Vincent Chileshe are at some clubs (can’t remember which ones). Boniface Simutowe is also an acclaimed goalkeeper coach(don’t how from being one of the best midfielders ever produced in Zambia and also one of the best groomers in Zambia).
kakokola on Mon, 20th Jul 2009 7:45 AM
can someone confirm the deal for sakuwaha? any latest news on kalaba and ‘feligo’ Felix?Georgia Russia what is your source? Ba Justice did J mulenga score in the game they played?
Vincent Numbwa on Mon, 20th Jul 2009 8:04 AM
It will be good if Sakuwaha signs not just ending at impressing the french club. His stature can help him mature into a good player. All the best to the guy.
Ba Muzo on Mon, 20th Jul 2009 8:41 AM
Yes, Jacob Mulenga scored a brace in his side’s 5-1 win over FC Zwolle. Mulenga scored in the 43rd and 71st minute. He played the full game. Kalaba played in his side SC Braga’s 3-1 pre-season friendly win but was not on the score sheet. Look out for Zamfoot’s Zambian players abroad for more details.
Justice Kafusha on Mon, 20th Jul 2009 9:14 AM
Jacob Mulenga scored 2 goals and played the full 90 minutes, the final result was 5-1. Utrecht play their next friendly game on Wednesday Vs Ankaraspor of Turkey and their last training game will be Vs Newcastle United on Saturday
Cheers
Justice Kafusha on Mon, 20th Jul 2009 9:30 AM
The good thing about Sakuwaha is that it is the coach and his technical bench who want him, after what they have seen, unlike in other cases whereby it is the direct of Sport or some club owner who decides. They have seen what he is capable of doing and I am convinced he is going to manage. I believe he is a very good player He was the best right winger at CHAN and that speaks volumes. Patience pays. Given should have waited as well
Jonas will now be knocking on HR’s door for a starting place in the National team and I think he deserves that. Competition on the right will make Chris upper his game, which is good for our team
He joins a club that has shown the 32 year old Algerian Rafik Saifi the door and another player. Zesco should release asap, so that he is there for pre season
GOOD LUCK SAKU
Just for our information Algerian playmaker Ziani has moved to Germany 2009 Budesliga Champions Wolfsburg from OM
Justice Kafusha on Mon, 20th Jul 2009 9:45 AM
That is news to me. But why don’t we produce good goalkeepers like in the past, Johnstone and Vincent were great goalkeepers. One person I know to be one of the best goalkeepers trainers in Zambia is Former Nchanga Rangers goalkeeeper John Kaunda, who even acted as Nchanga Rangers trainer in the absence of Ba Willie Phiri. I watched him train even the main team as well, but was for the keepers when Ba Willie was around, just do not know where he is now
To be frank I am becoming unconfortable with Mweene, I know he is good but sometimes I feel very an easy about him. Gents those who have watched Kankonje and Mweene can you give an opinion of who is a better of the 2
Anonymous on Mon, 20th Jul 2009 10:08 AM
we need to kwow more about our zambian player abroad.How is chris Katongo doing brothers help me coz i relly like the guy
Tm jics on Mon, 20th Jul 2009 10:10 AM
Mweene is the best but only let down by defenders.
Georgia Russia on Mon, 20th Jul 2009 10:11 AM
kenn
kennedy is better than kakonje,but all in all am not very confortable with all the 2 goalies coz they tend to allow very silly goals which can easily be avoided.our coaches need to wok up and train banda from zesco and the chan goalie.they look steady to me.
Ba Muzo on Mon, 20th Jul 2009 1:40 PM
Come on gents, which goalkeeper does not have a ‘bad hair day?’ Mweene is the best goalkeeper in South Africa’s PSL with arguably the best players from many African countries and some South Americans. Kakonje also plays in that league.
Granted Mweene is susceptible to leaving his area without making a touch on the ball on set pieces. But goalies mature with age. Like an old wine Mweene will get better with age.
I may not know about the silly goals you are suggesting.Davy Kaumbwa has similar problems and so is Jacob Banda, George. The goal that Kano Pillars scored against Zesco was because of that aspect of leaving the line and not making contact. Jacob misjudged and failed to make contact allowing the Nigerian Hillary Chukwu to sweep the ball into an empty net! I shouted ‘what where you thinking Jacob?’
I watch the Zambian league every weekend and I can tell you this seems a big problem for our unusually short keepers.
But going forward I would suggest Red Arrows’ Dan Munyao and Power Dynamos acrobatic keeper Rabson Mucheleng’anga are developed as under study to the current Chipolopolo keepers. These keepers are young. They can be given some nondescript matches to grow in confidence.
Justice Kafusha on Mon, 20th Jul 2009 3:01 PM
@Ba Muzo
I hear you ba Muzo but this Dan Munyao was he not picked for some tournement by HR and Red Arrows refused to release him, I recall it was either for COSAFA or CHAN training camp. Pity for him. I think players in Zambia should think twice before signing for some of these defence force clubs. I have heard he is a good goalkeeper, but his club must start to think about him as well. What they did was nonsense and besides this Arrows coach did not even play him when they disgraced Zambian football in Egypt (4-0), he used someone else. I observed that but did not just want to comment
Cheers
Smm-soJ on Mon, 20th Jul 2009 3:39 PM
Hope is our anchor for mother Zambia and all that is Zambian Go, Zambian players, Go chipolopolo, Go Zesco and all other spheres of life setting new records for our great nation …. all things are possible … never say die … hope be the beacon of Zambia … God bless the Rebuplic in all spheres of life
Anonymous on Mon, 20th Jul 2009 5:45 PM
Ba Muzo,
You have it right. I also watch the Zambian league week in week out. I rate Danny Munyao very highly, infact better than Jacob Banda and Kakonje. He also boasts of a good height and slender but agile body. To me HR should look at him seriously, In the upcoming COSAFA he should be the keeper. ZESCO or Zanaco should also consider purchasing him from Arrows, as these two clubs are likely to represent Zambia in CAF tournaments next year. Another goalie worth mentioning is Chibale the yound goalkepper who was at Lusaka Dynamos and went to Zanaco and is now headed back to Lusaka Dynamos. He looks fine.
I also give some decent rating to arrows Dan Siyuni, the central defender. Let him be tried for the COSAFA.
Smm soJ on Mon, 20th Jul 2009 7:25 PM
i fully agree with Bamuzo. God bless the Republic … Go Zambians and do us all pride …
Gametime12 on Tue, 21st Jul 2009 2:53 AM
Is Khonje the same kalilo khonje who played for Nkana back in the days? The gift Kampamba days? I remember Nkana had a young talented goalie, I always thought He’d become one of the best goalies, He had the height and was acrobatic.
Gametime12 on Tue, 21st Jul 2009 2:57 AM
Zambia did produced some of the finest Goalies on the continent, remember James “KaBova” and Davies Phiri?