Zambian envoys in the 2024 CAF Champions League and Confederations, Red Arrows FC and Zesco United, respectively, have began their campaigns with loses. 

For the Zambian champions, the mission was simple as said by their head coach Chisi Mbewe to close spaces and not to concede, however the story changed at Bingu National Stadium as Red Arrows lost their first leg match in the Champions League to Malawian Champions, Nyansa Big Bullets.

The Malawians came from behind to beat the Airmen 2-1 in Lilongwe.

Following a scoreless first half, the visitors scored through striker Ricky Banda in the 57 minutes after turning and beating four Bullets defenders who failed to stop him.

Bullets who created several scoring opportunities were determined to level the scores and in the 77th minute they equalized through Babatunde Adepoju before Precious Phiri doubled the lead in the last eight minutes of the game.

Arrows coach, Mbewe was disappointed with the result: “I am disappointed, this is not the result we wanted. Even players are disappointed because a few mistakes we committed resulted in a defeat. We will take it back home.”

Bullets coach Kalisto Pasuwa was not convinced with his boys after missing a number of scoring opportunities but he was happy to have won the match.

“We need this kind of mentality, when we conceded; we forced it and found those two beautiful goals. Yes, the battle is not yet over but we will go back and work on our mistakes.”   

The two teams will face off again in the second leg match at the National Heroes Stadium in Lusaka next weekend.

Dynamos beat Zesco in Botswana

In the CAF Confederations Cup, Calvin Kaumba Chikenge reports that Dynamos of Zimbabwe defeated Zambia’s Zesco United 1-0 at the Gaborone National Stadium.

The Zimbabweans took the lead in the first half through Shandir Wa inside 31 minutes of play.

From their fewer scoring opportunities, George Lwandamina’s side found it difficult to find the equalizer in the game against the fiercely defensive Dynamos.

Zesco’s assistant coach, Tenant Chilumba, said the team lacked coordination, especially since it was their first competitive match of the season.

“It’s just unfortunate we conceded in the first half, I thought we controlled the game. Both halves, first half and second half. But we knew it’d be a tough game. But of course they had one chance they scored. We didn’t create much chances in the game. I think we go back to the drawing board and work on the finishing. This is was our first competitive game. So I think we go back to the drawing board, go and work on the tactical [approach of the game].

Chilumba added: “It is a new team now, so we lacked the coordination in the few minutes of the first half until when we conceded the goal. But the overall game, we’ve seen our mistakes and the way they [Dynamos] play, and of course our objective is to qualify for the second round. So I think it’s game on.”

Zesco will host Dynamos in Ndola at the Levy Mwanawansa stadium next weekend for the second leg of the preliminary round of the competition.