Konkola Blades Football Club defender Kelly Kayembe has promised the club’s fans of getting one over their rivals.
The closing day of 2022/23 National Division One League served the fans with some dramatic moments as Mufulira Wanderers beat Konkola Blades 2-1 to secure promotion to the Super League.
Kayembe tells BolaNews that Sharp Razor are looking forward to renewing their old rivalry in the Super League against the legendary Mufulira side.
On the two sides’ meetings in National Division One, Kayembe said Shinde stadium created an intimidating atmosphere as the teams went head-to-head on the closing day of the season.
“The rivalry is not new,” Kayembe said. “Mighty is one of the biggest teams in Zambia, they intimidate you even before the game is played.”
After going down to the second tier, Blades gained promotion to the Super League alongside Trident FC, Mutondo Stars, and Mufulira Wanderers.
There was anticipation that the Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) derby between Nchanga Rangers and Konkola Blades would be witnessed in the Super League. However, Rangers were demoted to National Division One. The closest fierce derby will be expected to be between Blades and Wanderers and Kayembe promises fireworks.
“This is a game to watch this coming season.”
Kayembe analyzes Blades’ 2022/23 season
The defender has also given an analysis of the team ahead of the new season. He states the team has learned from the mistakes they made during their campaign in the Super League.
“It was a bad experience last time and we’ve learnt a lot from our mistakes. We’ll prepare well this time around so that we don’t repeat the mistakes we made,” he told Bolanews.
With 15 wins, 12 draws, and 7 defeats, Konkola Blades finished in 4th position and scored a total of 41 goals. Kayembe is of the view the squad is solid and roaring to go in the Super League.
“We had a good campaign in Division One and every position was solid. I don’t see any weakness in our team,” he stated.
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On a personal level, Kayembe said he is looking forward to having more game time in the coming season. During the 2021/22 Super League season, he suffered a lengthy injury.
“Am working on myself pretty well,” he said. “The last time in the Premier League, I had an injury that ruled me out almost half the season. I hope this will not be the case this time around and I hope to play all games this season.”