Zesco United will play Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa in the CAF Champions League semi final after the drew 1 – 1 at home against Wydad Casablanca.
The draw implies that Zesco United will finish second in group A while Wydad Casablanca top the group.
Zesco United dominated the first half and the ended the first 45 minutes on top with a 16th minute goal from David Odhiambo.
Wydad pushed for an equaliser and they were rewarded in 56th minute when Chisom Elvis Chikatara scored a beautiful goal when he curled the ball round Jacob Banda in the Zesco United goal and it hit the net on the far post.
From then on, Zesco enjoyed lots of possession but did not trouble the visitors enough and they were lucky to survive a late scare when Fabrice Nguessi Ondama was picked in the box by a cross from the left but he headed wide when it seemed easier to score.
Zesco finish on 9 points while Wydad are on 11 points.
Zesco will host Mamelodi Sundowns in Ndola on the 16th of September before playing the second leg in South Africa on 23rd September for a place in the final.
The other semi final match-up sees Zamalek play Wydad in an all North African semi final.
Zamalek finished on 6 points in group B while Sundowns topped the group with 9 points.
Zesco United XI
1 Jacob Banda 3 Ayo Oluwafemi 4 Adama Bahn 6 Simon Silwimba 11 John Ching’andu (Anthony Agay) 13 Misheck Chaila 15 David Odhiambo 18 Kondwani Mtonga (Maybin Mwaba) 20 Idriss Mbombo (Lazarous Kambole) 22 Mwelwa Mwape 25 Jesse Were
Wydad Casablanca XI
1 Mohamed Akid 2 Anas Al Asbahi 3 Fahid Aktaou 4 Salahedine Saidi 7 Mohammed Ounnajem 13 Youssef Rabeh 15 Serigne Mourtada Fall 18 Walid El Karti 19 Younes Bellakhdar 23 Chisom Elvis Chikatara 26 Abdeladim Khadrouf
If I was the current National Team coach, I would use the Zesco squad for the World Cup Qualifiers with two or three professionals.
That squad is filled with foreign nationals ..
This Zesco team is talented but is not well coached. The players have the technical and passing ability but they lack the game management nous. Zesco needs to know when to slow down a match and keep possession in order to control the rhythm of the game. They tend to lose possession a lot and play football in a one dimensional way. They play English football which is quick and direct but when they meet more disciplined sides they will struggle.
They have been meeting tough sides and are in the semi finals! Your analysis could be spot on IF ZESCO HAD JUST PLAYED ONE GAME! They have played six tough games and lost once!! Give them credit, they might just win this one…Chicken George has gotten back on the gravy train with so much sweat! South Africa was not hoping for ZESCO!!
ZESCO have done well but can improve- they kept giving the ball away mid second half and Wydad were unlucky. Unfortunately semifinal opponents Sundowns will be rather tough they have been unstoppable since last season. Final score 3-1 or 3-2 in favour of Sundowns.
Kickoff is awash on how it will be a walk in the park for Sundowns,Sundowns are good but they are not Bayern Munich,They are not Barcelona,They are not Real Madrid.They can be beaten cleanly by Team ya Ziko on and day
true dat,check kick off….
team Zesco has done us proud and can do more … Sundowns will underrate at own peril. Go Z and AND Show S. Shalom
I would rather meet Sundowns than Zamalek anytime. If sundowns are underatting Zesco, that’s their own funeral. I agree with Papa, there is just that technical aspect that misses in our play, the one seen in teams coached by coaches that are technically apt ie Renard ( his teams are very disciplined ) even Kalu tried. Maybe a technical advisor to Chicken or send him for some refresher course at the end of the season.
Wel done zesco,though we did not win the last game of group stage atleast you’ve made us proud,i prefer playing s.downs than zamalek hope we can win the first leg and go for a draw in s.a go zega go. Our current chipolopolo fc.
i have never been in PTA to watch any game but in buying the ticket for Zesco vs the brazilians in advance..
i have faith in the team after watching their last two game i have been very impressed…….team ya ziko might just do a double on downs
I would have loved to meet Zamalek. Talking about yesterday’s game, wydad is a very technical side, far much better than the other two teams in the group that Zesco played. Imagine in yesterdays game theY rested 6 of their regular players. Sundowns is a very gifted side and highly technical and very strong in all departments. That said I’m not saying Zesco will lose but it will be very tough and they have to work extra hard without any lapse in concentration
Would like to agree with @Anita. I would have chosen Zamalek over Sundowns. Sundowns currently are on song. They have been beating teams in RSA very easily and they were equally impressive in their group. They have Keegan Dolly who i currently rate as the best South African player whether locally or internationally. Ask our U23’s, this boy destroyed our boys when were playing in the RIO Olympics U-23 qualifiers. Sundowns have a well balanced team but the main threat is the boy i have mentioned.
Watched Zesco’s games a few times, they have done well to get to the Semis but they will have to dig deep to overcome Sundowns.
Long time Sibs. We should watch the game on the 23rd together at Attridgeville or hopefully they will play at FNB. Keegan is on point but I still rate the Zimbabwean boy Billiat as their main threat. Zesco are also on song and just like the shocker they threw at Africa by beating Alahly they could spring another surprise.
No team is a master in the game of football,believe zesco will win this caf,take notice they finished second with 9 points and sundowns finished top with 9,if u compare the 2 teams groups zesco’s group was more tougher.reason that lets jst support this team
Sundowns are are a big threat to Zesco. Like @Sibs said, Zesco will have to be at their best to overcome Mamelodi Sundowns. However, football is a very funny game. Zesco mighty just make it to the finals.
This is very interesting. I just realized that this will be a game between two local coaches who are/were considered to have ‘failed’ as national team managers. On one end you have Pitso who failed to qualify South Africa for AFCON and was relieved of duty and on the other you have George Lwandamina who has the same story for Zambia. Yet these guys have found a way to make it work at club level. Have to give props to Lwandamina for bringing Zesco this far. Also have to give it to Pitso Misomane for the work he has done to bring Sundowns upto expectations. Which ever way it goes, Southern Africa will be represented in the final which is a big achievement because it has been dominated by North and West African clubs. Maybe George will deliver; at least I hope he can.
Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm this analysis