By Angela Bambala Bwalya
Power Dynamos and Red Arrows meet at Nkoloma Stadium on Saturday with the first piece of silverware of the 2026 campaign at stake.
The 2026 MTN Super League champions travel to Lusaka to face the 2026 ABSA Cup winners in the Charity Shield, with kick-off scheduled for 15:00.
Red Arrows head into the encounter with confidence after progressing to the second round of the CAF Confederation Cup.
The Zambian champions beat FC Rouge 2-0 at Levy Mwanawasa Stadium before securing another 2-0 victory in Mauritius to complete a 4-0 aggregate win.
Power Dynamos, meanwhile, will be looking to respond after their disappointing CAF Champions League campaign, where they suffered identical 1-0 defeats to Sudanese giants Al Merrikh in both legs of their preliminary-round tie.
Assistant coach Linos Makwaza, however, insists the result is already behind them.
“It’s not the end of the world. That’s football. We took that defeat as a learning phase and it’s water under the bridge,” Makwaza said.
The focus has now shifted to domestic football, with Power targeting a return to continental competition.
“We will be playing transitional league. Our focus is returning back into the CAF Champions League,” he added.
Power without Mutapa and key players
Power Dynamos will be without head coach Osward Mutapa, who is away on national duty with the Zambia senior men’s team.
Several key players are also unavailable after joining the Chipolopolo camp, including first assistant captain Owen Tembo, goalkeepers Lawrence Mulenga and Willard Mwanza, defender Dominic Chanda and midfielder Wilson Chisala.
Makwaza says the club accepts the situation and believes the squad has enough depth to compete.
“That’s national duty. We accept. Although he’s not with us, in spirit he’s with us. We always communicate with him. He’s part of us,” he said.
The assistant coach added that Power will not use the absences as an excuse.
“Going into this game, we are not going to cry over spilt milk with those that are with the national team. It is good for them. We have the human resource. We have the manpower.”
With the domestic league on recess, Power have had time to prepare for the fixture.
“Our league was on recess and we started training a long time ago. All I can say is that the material we have, even those with the national team, minus them, we have the manpower,” Makwaza said.
Finishing remains Power’s concern
Makwaza also rejected suggestions that Power’s defence should be described as porous following their recent defeats.
“We can’t put it like a porous defence. Football is for the brave and sometimes it doesn’t go your way. We have good manpower, and going into this game is a different ball game. We are ready for Arrows.”
At the other end of the pitch, Power will have to cope with the departure of striker Moses Shumah, who played an important role in their attack.
“Shumah is gone. He was scoring for us. We wish him well, but going forward, we have to deal with what we have,” Makwaza said.
The assistant coach believes creating chances has not been Power’s main problem, but converting them has.
“It’s about finishing. We create a lot of chances but go empty-handed, which is not good, but we won’t stop. Football is for the brave. We won’t stop pushing.”
Phiri: ‘It is a different ball game’
Power captain Salulani Phiri acknowledges that Red Arrows’ familiarity with Nkoloma Stadium could give them an advantage, but believes the occasion will change the dynamics.
“This is a final game. Whoever gets the chance to win has to win it. We know that they train from there, but it being a final, it’s a different ball game,” Phiri said.
The midfielder says Power’s recent setbacks have provided motivation rather than distraction.
“As players, we’ve drawn inspiration from the two losses that we got. Everyone looked hungry in training that we need to win. Power Dynamos is not a small team, so players know what they need to do.”
Phiri also recognises the threat posed by an Arrows side arriving on the back of two wins over FC Rouge.
“We are here to face Red Arrows, and they are not a small team. They are coming from two wins. But we are Power Dynamos. We have to do the job.”
Makwaza has meanwhile urged Power supporters to turn out in numbers and back the team.
“We need our fans to come in numbers. We know we disappointed them, but we are not out. We hope we give them a smile.”
Recent meetings between the two sides have favoured Red Arrows, who have won five of their last 10 encounters. Power Dynamos have recorded two victories, while the other three matches ended in draws.
With domestic bragging rights and the first silverware of the campaign on offer, the Charity Shield promises to provide an early test of two sides with ambitions extending well beyond Saturday’s final.
