By Angela Bambala Bwalya
Kansanshi Dynamos head coach says his side must improve its finishing as they prepare to face FC MUZA in a Week Two MTN Super League transitional season encounter at Nakambala Stadium in Mazabuka on Saturday.
Both teams will be searching for their first victory of the campaign after opening their seasons with goalless draws. Kansanshi were held by NAPSA Stars, while MUZA shared the points with newly promoted Makeni All Stars.
With neither side managing to find the net in their opening fixtures, Kansanshi’s technical bench has placed particular emphasis on improving the team’s attacking play ahead of the trip to Mazabuka.
The coach says preparations have gone well, with the players recovering from their previous outing and maintaining high morale in camp.
“So far, so good. I think we’ve rested well, and we’ve recovered from the game against Makeni. The boys are enjoying camp. Morale is high. Everything is good, and we are getting ready for the MUZA game,” he said.
Kansanshi target improvement in the final third
Despite securing a point in their opening match, the coach believes Kansanshi must become more effective in front of goal if they are to turn promising performances into victories.
He admitted that his side struggled to create clear-cut chances against NAPSA Stars but is encouraged by the work done in training to address those shortcomings.
“We didn’t create much in the previous game. I think we had a few shots on target. But the few days that we’ve worked on, we’ve been working on finishing and the final third especially. I think there’s something positive coming out. I think we’ll be able to get a good result over the weekend,” he said.
The improvements will be crucial against a MUZA side that will also be eager to open its account after being held by Makeni All Stars.
Coach warns against complacency
Although Kansanshi boast a superior head-to-head record against MUZA, the coach has warned his players against allowing past results to influence their approach to Saturday’s encounter.
He believes MUZA’s quality demands full concentration and has urged his players to remain disciplined throughout the contest.
“First, we are talking about complacency. I think it affected us a bit in the first game. Looking at MUZA, they are a very good team. They play very well. You underrate them, you can be shocked. So we are talking to the boys to always stay focused and just concentrate on the game,” he said.
The coach has also made it clear that Kansanshi will travel to Mazabuka with the intention of winning rather than simply avoiding defeat.
“We don’t need to start saying, ‘They’ve never done this, they’ve never…’ What we are concentrating on is playing to win and not to avoid losing,” he added.
Kansanshi hold historical advantage
Kansanshi Dynamos have enjoyed the better of previous meetings between the two sides, winning four of their six FAZ/MTN Super League encounters, with MUZA recording one victory and the other match ending in a draw.
Kansanshi claimed a 1-0 victory in the first meeting during the 2022/23 season, courtesy of Gerald Chisha’s 57th-minute goal. They completed a league double that campaign when Benson Chali scored the only goal in the return fixture.
MUZA secured their only victory in the rivalry with a 1-0 win in the 2023/24 season, but Kansanshi responded with a 2-0 home victory in the reverse fixture.
The teams played out a goalless draw during the 2025/26 campaign before Kansanshi recorded a convincing 3-0 away victory in their most recent meeting, with goals from Kalonji Mwepu, Dalitso Lungu and Garry Mwelwa.
Overall, Kansanshi have scored seven goals against MUZA’s two across the six meetings.
However, Saturday’s encounter presents a fresh challenge, with both sides seeking to turn their opening draws into victories.
Kick-off is scheduled for 15:00 hours at Nakambala Stadium in Mazabuka on Saturday, 10 October.
