By Angela Bambala Bwalya
NAPSA Stars head coach Tennant Chilumba says his side is fully focused despite facing another stern test as the Pensioners aim to bounce back from their recent defeat
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NAPSA suffered a narrow 1–0 loss to Nchanga Rangers and now face an in-form FC MUZA in a crucial MTN Super League clash on Thursday afternoon.
Chilumba acknowledged the difficulty of the fixture but expressed confidence in his players’ preparation and mindset.
“A difficult game again. We didn’t play over the weekend but looking at the way we’ve trained, the morale is still high. Everyone is focused,” he said.
Squad Selection Key Ahead of Thursday Clash
The veteran coach revealed that intense competition within the squad has made selection decisions challenging, with final choices to be made closer to match day.
“There is a lot of competition, so of course we are picking another squad. Up to Wednesday we have to pick the squad. We want to get maximum points on Thursday.”
Struggles Continue but Hope Remains
NAPSA have endured a difficult campaign and currently sit in the relegation zone in 15th place with 24 points.
The Pensioners have recorded just one victory in their last nine matches and come into the game on a poor run of four losses and one draw in their last five outings.
Despite the slump, Chilumba believes a turnaround is imminent.
“If you look at where we are, we’ve struggled so far. After the Mines game we lost to Nchanga and we didn’t play over the weekend, so it’s a big challenge. But looking at the way we’ve worked, I’m sure we will start picking up points.”
Their scheduled weekend fixture against ZESCO United was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch, giving the team additional recovery time.
Travel Fatigue Not an Excuse.
Chilumba also addressed concerns over the team’s demanding travel schedule, which involved an eight-hour journey ahead of the match.
“We’ve travelled for almost eight hours. Of course the players are tired, but we knew we were playing on Thursday so we can’t complain — we’ve done our part already.”
MUZA Hold Upper Hand in Head-to-Head
FC MUZA enter the match in eighth position with 34 points and have won two of their last five games, losing the other three.
Historically, MUZA have had the better of this fixture. In nine previous meetings, they have recorded three wins compared to NAPSA’s one, while five matches have ended in draws.
Match Details
The encounter will be played in Lusaka at Reiz Arena, with kick-off scheduled for 15:00 hours.
