By NDINAWE SIMPELWE –
ZESCO United’s opponents in the CAF 2016 Champions League have been changed with the Zambian champions now expected to face Al Ghazal in the preliminary round next month.
According to the latest communication by CAF, Zesco, who were scheduled to face South Sudan champions Altabara, will instead face the runners-up Al Ghazal Wau on February 26.
Zesco media officer Katebe Chengo said CAF did not give any reasons for the change but was quick to say that the team would not be affected in any way.
She said Zesco would not underrate any team and that the four-team tournament in Ndola would help prepare for the match.
The four-club tournament gets under way today at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium with two interesting fixtures involving Zanaco against Chicken Inn of Zimbabwe at 13:00 hours and Zesco who face Azam of Tanzania in a 15:00 hours kick-off.
Azam assistant coach Dennis Kitambi has, however, warned Zesco that his side is hoping to cause an upset as a way of boosting the team’s confidence going into the CAF Confederation Cup tournament in March.
“We know we are facing the Zambian champions and the runners-up as well as the champions of Zimbabwe, so we expect stiff competition but it will be able to gauge our preparedness for the CAF competition that we will be playing in March.
They should expect to see some entertaining football and we will also try to bring some challenge to the reigning champions of Zambia, hopefully cause an upset,” Kitambi said upon arrival at the Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe Airport.
Kitambi said both Zesco and Zanaco were superior teams who would bring a technical and tactical approach to the game which his team did not usually see in Tanzania.
He said Zambian football had been on the rise and it was evidenced when the country won the Africa Cup of Nations in 2012.
Kitambi said the tournament would go a long way in assessing his team’s preparedness for the Confederation Cup, and that he had come with his full-strength side.