Zesco test Nkoloma turf
ZESCO United looked sharp in training this afternoon as they tested the Nkoloma Stadium turf , venue for Sunday’s crucial Orange CAF Champions League match against Sudan’s El-Merriekh.
The Zamfoot Crew who literally camped in the Chelstone area today in the hope of catching El-Merriekh who arrived in Zambia yesterday fine tuning for the Sunday 14 30 kick off were surprised when it was the home team that pitched up in the afternoon instead of the visitors.
And Zambianfootball.net can confirm that Jonas Sakuwaha trained with his coleagues at Nkoloma this afternoon and has not left for France. It remains unclear whether Sakuwaha will manage to beat the Monday 31st August, 2009 transfer window deadline to join French Ligue one side Lorient FC.
In spite of confirmation from officials manning Nkoloma Stadium this morning that El-Merriekh might be at the ZAF arena in the afternoon for them to have a feel of the turf, the Sudanese side opted to train elsewhere.
It will be interesting to see how the turf at Nkoloma will hold for Sunday’s match as it will host a FAZ KCM Premier League double header for purposes of Supersport live coverage for the games involving Young Arrows versus City of Lusaka and Konkola Blades dating Nakambala Leopards just 24 hours earlier.
With that, it is still unclear when El-Merriekh will train at Nkoloma and what sort of impact all this will have on the state of the pitch come Sunday.
The supremely confident Sudan giants who were vanquished 2-3 at home a fortnight ago declared on arrival at Lusaka International airport on Thursday that they had come to Zambia to win and prolong their stay in Africa’s most lucrative club football competition.
Coach Mohammed Abdallah beaming with confidence said his team would over run Zesco on Sunday in front of what is expected to be a record partisan crowd at Nkoloma.
Zesco go into the game missing seven regulars through injury and suspension but there was some ‘good’ news as Sakuwaha who should have left for France this week bar the disagreement over personal terms with the French club looking lively in training.
And star defender Hichani Himoonde who had been taken ill earlier in the week at the national team training camp has completely recovered and looked as fit as a fiddle in training today.
Meanwhile, all local Premier league games will be played on Saturday besides the double header at Nkoloma.
The rest of the fixtures are:
Power Dynamos vs Kabwe Warriors Nkana Stadium
Choma Eagles Vs Chambishi Kanzinze Stadium
Zamtel vs Roan Utd Musa Kasonka Stadium
Green Buffaloes Vs Zanaco Woodlands Stadium
Forest Rangers Vs Red Arrows Dola Hill Stadium
Lusaka Dyanmos Vs Zesco United (PP)
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Go team ya ziko! NKANA 4 LIFE
Number 1 ! KALAMPA 4 LIFE
Mighty for life
MIGHTY 4 LIFE
At what stage do CAF pick two teams from the same country to represent at the champions league?
power 90
I don’t understand how teams are training at the Independence stadium if its under construction. How’s the playing surface there? did they put up the artificial one yet?
@Gametime12 I think the actual turf has been laid almost two years ago, in my vision of Independence Stadium, i imagine players stepping over ruble to get to the pitch. Maybe there is even dust blowing over the turf… War torn Sudan, welcome to Zambia lol. i shouldn’t jest.
How do we encourage clubs to build their own stadia minus waitin on de ever disappointin govt, ba spaks ka next innovation
There are some issues I do not understand in our country. Just how Mtine and FAZ at that time decided to erase Dag while knowing very well they did not have money to put up a new one beats me up to this time. They should not have erased Dag but should have simply found a new site to build a new stadium. Some clubs could have been using that stadium
The other issue that beats me is how it was decided to pull down the Grandstand at Independence stadium while knowing very well we did not have the capacity to reconstruct a new grandstand. Lying of the artificial turf was in progress at that time. Why didn’t they find a new site for the new stadium and then have the Independence stadium renovated at a later stage. The place could have used for training, I am aware it is being used but you can not train there under closed doors. I think in the main time they can put ichi li lata in the area where there was the grandstand. Maybe some division one or two clubs could even play the games there. Bushe do we need the Chinese to do this or what.
Dr_Five
One way is if I were in the ZESCO Executive is to instead of getting a transfer fee for JONAS try to go into some partnership that includes infrastructural support (Stadia, Club House etc). This way the relationship is sustainable and but that the one off recurrent expenditure prone transfer fee.
I want to suggets to Nkana that we revive the AJAX(pronounced as EJAKIS and not AYAXI by Rhokana and Nkana faithful back in the days)nursery that was very successful for Nkana back in the days. We can then target to groom 10 extremely good players that we can market to European teams over the next few years. We could get a Corporate Strategic partner that could they could embrace as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility.
Ba Justice wasn’t the Dag demolition more to do with Hapunda and the PIG (Party and Its Government as KK coined it those days)! Just like now it is more to do with Sports Ministry than Mulonga-Kalu
@Uncle Bobs
Bobs it had to do with the AFCON we never hosted. I recall it was Mtine during his second term. They had set up a fundraising committee but failed to raise anything. I doubt if Govt was consulted. We were to host the 1980 AFCON and in my view Dag was just OK at that time as there only 8 teams that made the final.
Now I hear there are plans to bid to host CHAN2013, but I feel we should wait until we see the new stadiums. From the way I see things we may end up with the one in Ndola. CAF have increased the number of teams at CHAN from 8 to 16. I would wait if I were FAZ
Cheers
@Uncle Bobs
Infact Zesco have already got 100,000 dollars for making it to the group stages and they will get more for win and draw plus reaching the Semis and evt. the final
One thing I have observed here in Denmark is that most clubs have been building their own stadiums, but have done this in stages. First the Grandstand, when funds are available the next step etc. After 3 to 4 years most of them are now having stadiums with a capacity of 15,000 specs and upwards (all sited). It is a question of proper planning and joinning hands with partners
@Kasama Boy
I totally agree with your points. But what is wrong with Zambia kanshi?
That is Great news for Saku. Does that mean he won’t play ZESCO this Sunday????
Breaking news from Algeria :
Algerian representative, ES Sétif made a strong bid for a place at the last four of the Confederation Cup with a 6-0 routing over Santos FC of Angola on Friday in a Group A clash.
my
Sakuwaha still has to do a medical and get international clearance to confirm his move right ?But that can be done after the tranfer window thats what the rules stipulate .
That is correct, but that will all be done Monday. The transfer window will close Monday at Midnight. So there is no problem unless he fails the medics, which is unlikely
I am strongly considering becoming a supporter of Zesco. The club has impressed me
That will be better than putting up a new stadium in Livingstone where there are not so many clubs. That will mean having big Stadiums in each of the major towns (Lusaka, Ndola and Kitwe)
How i wish we could highlight these brilliant ideas to relevant authorities, ba bobs hope u takin notes, durin one of den meetings share them wit the innovative pipo.
Ba Justice I don’t even know why they are building a stadium in Livingstone. Do people even like football in Livingstone? I thought they were too caught up with tourism.
Their priority should be Indenpondo, too many memories of Indopondo. Beside Independence was always filled up with supporters, our national team record there was good.
Weelee.! At nkoloma mailo to give support to zega.
It is really difficult to understand how these guys make decisions. People in Livingstone have no interest in football at all. Besides there is no club in the ZPL, why they decided so beats me. Maybe we should write to the minister and seek clarification or rather give him our views
You are very write the independence stadium is very important even to the history of our country. However et seems it may take time to be constracted considering that it is the same people doing the Ndola one that will do Independence
What happens if he gets injuired while playing for Zesco. If I were him I would not play. Remember he scored those 3 goals in Sudan so they will be hard on him.
Lol sakuwaha hez real zambia thts y he cnt av a bd altitude nt to play 4zesco ,zesco is down by 7players the presence of sakuwaha is a boost no matter wht tulebawina wasanga tuleteya awesure ni 7points via semi n beat ‘em all go zesco go
Folks, at Innovations Sports Consultancy, Ba Spaks and I will always tap into your bright ideas.
Another idea I shared with Ba Spaks is say each one of us on this blog becomes a mentor to one national team player(mentee)in formal mentorship programmes. This way people like Fwayo wouldn’t come back to Kalingalinga from Tunisia(or whatever country he was) without an altrnative.I tried it with Clifford Mulenga but after one 3 hour session I had with him in my office while I was in Zambia, it never went far after I left Zambia.
Good idea uncle bobs,
Good idea uncle bobs, u guys ill take Zambian football to places and am behind u, o de best
I’m enjoying the discussion… keep on posting… Oh, one other thing, I don’t know how u people get here but I get here using Opera Mini on my cellphone. if you got internet on you phone then download it free. its the best.