ZANACO FC head coach Numba Mumamba says he expects a challenging encounter when his side visits Kabwe Warriors at Godfrey Ucar Chitalu Stadium tomorrow.
Numba and his assistant Noel Mwandila left Kabwe Warriors to join the Bankers in January last year. Speaking ahead of the match, Numba acknowledged the emotional and competitive aspects of facing his former employers:
“Another important game that we have is against Kabwe Warriors, the team that we are coming from. We expect a tough game playing Kabwe Warriors at their home ground. We have done our homework to make sure that we prepare our team so that they are ready for Kabwe Warriors tomorrow.
“Yeah, for us this is what makes this game a tough one because both teams are experiencing a good run in the last three games that both teams have played. So it won’t be easy for us to go in there and grab the three points easily. So it is up to the team, the players, to apply themselves so that they fight to collect maximum points as we meet Kabwe Warriors.
“It makes me feel good to go back to my former employers, but that is what also makes this game tough for us. So the team and the players, they just have to be positive minded so that we go there with the right approach and fight on the pitch so that we come back with a positive result.
“The mood is very high in the team. Every player is in high spirits from the time we played our last game and I think that is a game that motivated us, winning at home against a big team like Nkana. It is a big motivation on our part. All we need is just to build from that game and make sure that we do the right thing by working hard in tomorrow’s game.”
Addressing the fans, Numba added:
“To our fans, we can only urge them to continue coming in numbers to give support to the team because they are the 12th player and we need that support and encouragement from them. They’ve been awesome from the time the season kicked off and we expect them to continue supporting the team like they have always done.”
Kabwe Warriors come into the game on a high, having won their last three matches, scoring seven goals and keeping clean sheets in all three. ZANACO have also been in good form, winning three of their last four games and keeping three clean sheets.
Historically, ZANACO hold the upper hand in this fixture, recording 21 wins since 2006, compared to Kabwe Warriors’ nine victories, with seven matches ending in draws.
