By Angela Bambala Bwalya
Nkana FC head coach Elijah Tana has described his side’s 2–0 defeat to Konkola Blades as an off day, dismissing suggestions that complacency contributed to the 13-time Zambian champions’ first loss of the 2026 MTN Super League Transitional Season.
The Kitwe giants suffered their first setback of the campaign on Sunday, October 25, as Emmanuel Kunda opened the scoring for Konkola Blades in the 34th minute before Idris Mbombo doubled the hosts’ advantage in the 47th minute.
Tana admitted that Nkana conceded avoidable goals and expressed disappointment with his defenders’ approach to the contest, insisting that the team would need to assess its shortcomings before returning to action.
“Yeah, we’ve lost the game. Otherwise, it’s a game. We’ll go back to the drawing board to see where we went wrong,” Tana said.
“The two goals were silly goals. I’m not happy with the way the defenders approached the game,” he added.
Despite the defeat, the Nkana coach urged his players to put the disappointment behind them and turn their attention to next weekend’s Kitwe derby against rivals Power Dynamos at Levy Mwanawasa Stadium.
Tana acknowledged that the loss would be particularly difficult for his young squad to accept but challenged them to respond positively in their next outing.
“It can’t make us feel bad. We go back to the drawing board and encourage our young boys to perform well at Levy Mwanawasa.
“I know they are angry about losing to Konkola because Konkola is not our class,” he added.
Asked whether complacency had played a role in Nkana’s defeat, Tana rejected the suggestion, attributing the result to an off day rather than a lack of focus within his squad.
“I can’t say there was any complacency in my team, no. It was just a day. We didn’t have luck,” he said.
The result ended Nkana’s unbeaten start to the transitional season, leaving them second in Stream A on nine points, level with Konkola Blades, who moved into third place on goal difference.
Attention now shifts to the highly anticipated Kitwe derby, with both sides looking to bounce back from defeats. Power Dynamos also head into the encounter following a setback, having suffered a 1–0 loss to FC MUZA.
The derby offers Nkana an immediate opportunity to restore confidence and respond to their first defeat of the campaign, while Tana will be looking for a more disciplined defensive performance as his side seek to return to winning ways.
