ZANACO head coach Numba Mumamba says his side were punished for wasteful finishing after suffering a surprise 1-0 defeat to Chirundu United — insisting the team that eliminated them is “not better than Kafue Celtic.”
The Bankers bowed out of the ABSA Cup 2026 at the quarter-final stage on Saturday, undone by a 25th-minute strike from Darius Phiri at Arthur Davies Stadium.
The result was made more frustrating by the path that led them there. ZANACO had edged Kafue Celtic 2-1 in the round of 16 — a match Mumamba described as facing an “excellent team” — to set up the meeting with Chirundu.
“It’s very painful. We have lost to a team that is not better than Kafue Celtic,” Mumamba said. “The team that we played in the pre-quarter finals was an excellent team. Unlike the team that we have lost to, this is what pains us most.”
Despite dominating large spells against Chirundu and creating numerous chances, ZANACO failed to convert — a flaw Mumamba identified as decisive.
“We’ve lost this game because we could not convert the chances that we created. If you look at the chances that we created, they were just too much for us to come out without even a goal. Chirundu had only one — it was a half chance — and they buried it.”
Chirundu’s disciplined defensive display frustrated ZANACO throughout, particularly as the Lusaka side found space in wide areas but lacked cutting edge in front of goal.
“Every time we penetrated from the flanks, we created scoring opportunities, but our finishing let us down. Hence we’ve been kicked out of this competition,” he added.
Fine margins and a warning ignored
Having come through a testing encounter against Kafue Celtic, Mumamba had warned his players about the dangers of assuming progression — a warning he feels went unheeded.
“I said before the game that we have to win the game on the pitch. If we get on the pitch thinking we’ve already won it, this is what has happened.”
Still, the coach rejected suggestions of complacency, pointing instead to poor execution in decisive moments.
“They did not underrate. If you look at the chances that we created, we just did not execute our technical abilities in front of goal. That is why we bowed out.”
Chirundu’s victory marks their second major scalp of the tournament, having already eliminated Kabwe Warriors in the round of 16, underlining their status as this year’s surprise package.
Rebuild still in progress
Mumamba admitted the defeat exposes deeper structural issues within his squad, conceding ZANACO are not yet equipped to compete consistently in knockout competitions.
“I think for us, we’re still not ready to play in cup competitions at the moment. We are still trying to rebuild the team,” he said. “When we beef up the team during the off-season, then we’ll be able to assemble a strong team that can compete.”
For now, the focus shifts back to the league campaign, with a top-four finish the stated objective.
“Our objective is to finish in the top four. Then we pick it up from there,” Mumamba said.
Yet the manner of the defeat — dominance without reward — remains a concern for the technical bench.
“We have a lot of work to do. We cannot be missing such chances. This worries us, because we had clear-cut opportunities, unlike our opponents who are now in the semi-finals.”
