By FELIX MALUNGA  –
HISTORY favours Zesco United today as the 2014 MTN Premier league winners target a record fourth Barclays Cup triumph when they face dethroned champions, Nkana in the final match set for Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola.
Each of the last three times that Zesco has won the league title, the Ndola side also went on to scoop Barclays Cup championship.
Zesco were both league and Barclays Cup champions in 2007, 2008 and 2010 and coach George Lwandamina hopes the trend continues even this year.

Nkana, who just surrendered the MTN League title to Zesco last weekend, have never been in the Barclays Cup final and now want to make up for their failure in the league by winning Zambia’s only cup competition.
However, Nkana first need to banish the ghosts that have prevented them from beating Zesco in the last 15 competitive clashes.
Zesco have beaten Nkana 10 times with the other five games ending in draws since the Kitwe side was promoted to the top flight in 2004.
Coach Beston Chambeshi is determined to see Nkana end Zesco’s dominance and deny Lwandamina back-to-back Barclays Cup glory.
Last year, Lwandamina won the Barclays Cup with Red Arrows.
Lwandamina is alive to the threat posed by Nkana.
“It will be a tough game. Nkana lost out in the league and they only have the cup to fight for,” he said in an interview yesterday.
The Zesco trainer said his team equally had a name to protect as current league champions and would want to complete a double for the year.
But Nkana defender, Derrick Mwansa is confident the Kitwe giants will prevail this afternoon and pick up the K250,000 top prize.
“It is a cup final and we are ready for it , Zesco is ready for it but it depends on who wants it most. But I think for us this year we haven’t won anything so I think we have to give something to our supporters. We just have to carry the day,” Mwansa told MTNFootball.com.
Nkana warmed up for this afternoon’s Barclays Cup final with a 6-0 thrashing of National Assembly in the season-closing league match in Lusaka.
Zesco are also heading into this fixture on high after beating Kabwe Warriors 3-1 to snatch the MTN Premier Division League title on the final day of the season.
The experience of Jackson Mwanza, Winston Kalengo, Nyambe Mulenga and goalkeeper Jacob Banda could be vital for Zesco in today’s encounter while Ronald ‘Sate Sate’ Kampamba, Simon Bwalya, Donashano Malama and Christopher Munthali hold the key to Nkana’s success.
While the winner is assured of K250,000 and a floating trophy, the losing finalist will get K100,000.
There will also be prizes for Coach and Player of the tournament.