Since 2020, no Zambian club has advanced to the CAF Champions League group stage, but Red Arrows are looking to change that narrative.

Zesco was the last Zambian club to accomplish the feat in the 2019-2020 season, finishing last in Group A, and Nkana remains the only Zambian club to reach the Champions League final, which they lost 3-5 on penalties to Algeria’s JS Kabylie in 1990.

Red Arrows who are the reigning Champions of the Zambian MTN Super League have participated in the CAF Champions League twice, reaching the second round in 2005 and the first preliminary round during the 2021 – 2022 season, where Simba SC eliminated them.

After winning both the Zambian League and ABSA Cup last season, the Airmen had a fantastic pre-season, winning the 2024 CECAFA Dar Port Kagame Interclub Cup after beating Rwanda’s APR FC 10-9 on penalties following a 1-1 draw at the KCM stadium in Tanzania.

During that competition, they defeated Kenya’s Gor Mahia FC 1-0 before suffering a 5-0 bashing to Sudanese giants Al Hilal. They recovered in the final group match with a 1-0 win over ASAS Djibouti Telecom to advance to the semi-finals, where they defeated Al Wadi 2-0.

They will face five-time African champions TP Mazembe in the second preliminary round of the Champions League tomorrow at the Levy Mwanawansa stadium in Ndola, after defeating Malawi’s Nyasa Big Bullets 3-2 on aggregate.

What has been said?

With USD 700,000 on the line for the team that advances to the group stage, Red Arrows assistant coach Kalililo Kakonje is confident in their chances of qualifying ahead of the most decorated club in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

“These are self-motivated games; the boys look motivated on their own,” Kakonje said during a pre-match press conference. “Looking forward to the game, looking forward to qualifying to the group stage as well. The morale has been very good, the response has been very good, and hopefully we take that into the game as well.”

TP Mazembe’s head coach, Lamine N’Diaye said his side will not underestimate Red Arrows in tomorrow’s game.

“Playing in the Caf Champions League is very difficult because you are playing a team that is already playing two games in their championship but we have come here to comepte,” he said.

“We respect [Red Arrows] they are a good team and we saw what they did last time against Nyasa Big Bullets in this competition. But you know that we’ve come here to play with humility and the good thing about TP Mazembe is to find a good result and go back home and try to finish the game with qualification for the next step of the Champions League.”

The Congolese league has not yet started this season but N’Diaye said that will not affect his players as they are used to starting the league late.

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