From SAMUEL LUKHANDA in BAMAKO –
ZESCO United’s bid to be rated among the elite clubs on the continent gets a stiff test this evening when they face seasoned campaigners Stade Malien for a place in the lucrative 2016 CAF Champions League Group Stages.
Captain Jacob Banda has urged his colleagues to aim at picking a positive result today and lessen pressure in the return leg as Zesco aim to secure a second group stage qualification.
This match, that kicks off at 20:00 hours Zambian time at Madibo Keita Stadium in the hot Malian capital of Bamako, will see Zesco needing to cure their travel sickness as they have dished out some good attacking football at Levy Mwanawasa, while they have struggled to replicate their fluidity away from home.
Coach George Lwandamina has called on his charges to rise up to the challenge by matching individual ambitions of marketing themselves with club objectives by qualifying to the group stage.
Lwandamina said he was aware of the mind games played by most West-Africans in the champions league.
“This scenario is not different from the Guinea one as you might be aware of the hostilities that characterised the second leg against AC Horoya in Conakry. But these challenges can be overcome by ambition and drive,” said Lwandamina, who missed that clash.
Zesco will have to play a perfect game and avoid getting sucked into mind games by either the partisan home crowd or the match officials when decisions go the other way.
Stade Malien president Boukary Sidibe is on record as having said that the fans played a huge role in helping the Malian champions see off their Cameruonian opponents to reach the second round.
Zesco were undone by dubious refereeing in Guinea that saw their opponents awarded two penalties and a red card was flashed at Cletus Chama, who subsequently misses this match.
It is hoped that the Egyptian referee Brahim Nour El Din along with his assistants Mahmoud Ahmed Abo El Regal and Diaaeldin Ismail Mohamed Sakran will do a better job in ensuring there is fair play.
Zesco will be without their Kenyan rock, David Odhiambo in defence who is also suspended owing to two yellow cards accumulated in the competition but have plenty of cover in the likes of Bernard Mapili, fit again Kondwani Mtonga, Ben Adan Bahh even Daut Musekwa, who has been deployed as a centre back this season.
Misheck Chaila and Akum Agay will sit just in front of the back four to provide cover while the industrious Mwape Mwelwa will play wide. The young Lazarus Kambole should get a nod ahead of Jackson Mwanza in the absence of their talismanic winger Chama.
Upfront, the blossoming partnership of Idriss Mbombo and Jesse-Jackson Were should be preferred as the pair have scored 80 per cent of the goals for Zesco so far this season.
Skipper Jacob Banda will continue to provide steady hands and leadership between the sticks.
There should be a place for the Nigerian left back Ayo Oluwafeni and Simon Silwimba at full back positions.