By Prince Kanyinji
With 20 games played so far in the 2024/2025 MTN Super League season, the race for the title is shaping up.
The top tier of Zambian league football is now in the second phase and in top gear as teams vying for top spot are now beginning to believe.
The teams fighting relegation are also looking to avoid the drop with games now becoming more difficult as the season progresses.
The ZamFoot Crew’s Prince Kanyinji runs through the odds and who they favour most as the season moves closer to its conclusion.
Hopeful league winners in order
Zesco United: they have depth and harbour top quality players in the league, they have played their season under the tutelage of a caretaker coach, Emmanuel Siwale who took over after the departure of George Lwandamina.
Despite their good run, Team Ya Ziko have seemed lost in big moments when they need to show class to bully opponents for a positive result.
Despite lacking character of how to grind results, they are still in contention, which could be a mark of how unserious and poor competition from other teams could be this season.
The nine time Champions are unbeaten in the last six games but they have only managed to win two games.
They have been blowing hot and cold but their last performance in the win over Nkana at Levy Mwanawasa Stadium could be a sign of better things to come.
Why backed to win the league? During their technical woes, they are still on level terms with teams who have everything at their disposal, a change at the technical bench which is unlikely might stir the team to the title due to the honeymoon which comes with managerial changes and should a change be a top coach the effect will last longer.
Another reason is that players are beginning to accept that a change is an unlikely thing and have to impress the man at the helm to solidify their positions a thing which will bring in a new dimension but the hot and cold performances will continue as Siwale seem to be wandering in decision making and in big moments, he lacks character a secret of a winner who always gets to have an uppercut to finish the opponent when need arises.
What will keep ZESCO going is the big team tag which will keep ringing in players heads and the caretaker coach knows that it’s only a title which will keep him to next season.
They have also lost the fewest games among all ZPL teams. Zesco has an 8/10 chance of winning the Super League but tactically they have been poor this season.
Nkana FC: The bamusuma kuwa red showbiz team have hit the ground running in an unexpected turn of events.
The coming of Mwenya Chipepo after letting go of Ian Bakala has injected the deadliest venom in the team with no antidote.
The league kings, record holders of Zambian super league are living to their names, the fluidity and chemistry seem to be well a combined chemical formula.
Why backed to win the league and ranked second? They say defense wins you titles and they are a testimony to that sentiment as they had allowed least goals in the league which are 11 as of week 19 but again they say goals win you games and they have scored a good number of goals, 25, more than the majority of the team’s in the league.
They have a title winning coach who has a plan for each moment. Why ranked second? They are still living in honeymoon phase, they have players who have not been tested much whose character is on Mwenya Chipepo’s care, they are believing because he is telling them that they can do it and the demands at their disposal might deplete the energy reserves a call for depth but they might get the title if ZESCO’s inconsistency will continue. Second round is a real test for them and they have a 7/10 chance.
Power Dynamos: Aba yellow seems to have lost the belief and wants to play catch up by pressing the panic button.
They seem to lack better play transitioning thereby leaving the defense vulnerable, they are a team in the top 6 who have allowed most goals of 19.
Oswald Mutapa has at times failed to get the best out of his players.
A title challenging team should know how to grind results against big teams, a thing which Power Dynamos is not doing.
Why ranked third? They only have a defense to solve and Oswald Mutapa to hidy to the demands of a team to hit the ground running.
He seems to have an idea which lacks implementation intent and they are playing an opportunistic role trying to maximise on every chance and other teams except ZESCO and Nkana seem to have lesser clue than power Dynamos who have the best scoring record in the league. They have a chance of 6/10
Red Arrows: The airmen forgot to reinforce after winning the league and never went on enough break playing friendly after friendly during off season and now fatigue seems to have gotten the best of them.
Chisi Mbewe and the boys seem to rely on experience to get better results, a thing not enough to propel them to success but a charm which might work.
Why ranked fourth? They seem tired in most games but have experience at their disposal which has shown in most games and has had them a chance of 5/10 to retain the title
Kabwe Warriors: Njanji ni Njanji, the railways boys had a formidable team this season which would have put them among the best 4 in the league.
They were playing as a unit and had experience but have not mastered the art of keeping the best to themselves, they have lost experience in coach Numba Mumamba who has joined Zanaco and top striker Godfrey Binga has ditched them for NAPSA Stars.
Why ranked fifth ? They are not ambitious and have lost character in Numba, they can not keep treasures and they seem to be getting results under Happy Sichikolo but they have not met the real test and he is not one to get their hands on the title.
In a few moments reality might hit them. The only redemption is reorganization during pre-season, they have taken themselves back to the start and it is always their tendency to lose grip in the closing stages. They have a chance of 4/10.
Green Buffaloes: Fondly called GBFC and Go Boys Fight and Conquer to the commandant.
They are in their own lane and always seem not to be under too much pressure and only talking after each game.
Masauso Tembo has brought some identity to the team but lack of quality is getting them stuck at slow progress.
They are always second best in big games. Why ranked sixth? Ranked sixth because they are organized within their capabilities playing with identity but vulnerable when they push men forward, they are a fair team lacking instinct and they have 3/10 chance of winning the league
Nkwazi FC: They got a name from the eagle and coined it locally, the high flying Nkwazi always play to finish in better position and have never been title contenders but look sharp under Aggrey Chiyangi and have been frustrating big teams and they may scoop it if they are given a blind eye.
Why ranked seventh? They have achieved their mission of a better position and the pressure has eased on them and this will make them have nothing to lose and try to go hard in each game and it is the “lets see how far it will take us” that might bring the chance to sneak the title. They have a chance of 2/10
Green Eagles: Tonka Twende boys do not look like a team really wanting to push like their nickname. They are not getting it better in away games, they do not look to have a proper game plan and they have no coaching experience at their technical bench.
Ranked eighth with a chance of 1/10 because of lack of objectives.
