Barts FC head coach Ivan Janssens has acknowledged Zesco United’s strength and rich history as his side prepares to face the Ndola giants in the ABSA Cup round of 16.
This comes after Barts secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Teta FC in the preliminary round at Nkana Stadium in Kitwe on Sunday.
Zesco United has won the ABSA Cup, a record six times, making them the most successful team in the competition’s history.
“Zesco is a strong team and they have rich history here. While we respect them for sure, we have watched Zesco quite a bit in preparations for this. We have watched lots of Zesco. It should be a good competitive match,” Janssens said.
Speaking in a post-match interview, Janssens refused to admit his side is up to the task of taking on the Ndola giants in a match where they will go in with all odds against them.
“Do we have what it takes? We will have to wait until the day,” he stated.
Martin Mweemba’s 87th-minute goal was the difference between Teta FC from Kasama and Barts FC from Southern Province, securing Barts a place in the round of 16. Janssens admitted his side struggled in the opening moments of the match.
“We have won and forced games before. Our boys struggled a little bit with the pressure of the tournament, probably for the first 5 or 10 minutes. Once getting into the flow, we made lots of opportunities. We should have finished some of them,” he said.
Janssens pointed out his players’ character and ability to keep fighting despite missing several chances.
“What I’m really, really proud about is that we have the character. Sometimes when you are not finishing, you get frustrated and you back out. But our boys just keep going.”
He also noted Teta FC’s defensive strength, which posed a challenge for his side.
“We tried to play in behind Teta defensive line a few times, but probably by our standards, we should have seen that their defenders, they are some big, strong boys.”
The ABSA Cup round of 16 is scheduled for April 5 and 6, with the venue yet to be announced. Barts FC will have to be at their best as they prepare to face Zesco United.
