Trident Football Club head coach Ernest Koffi expressed his delight at the team’s resilience, which led to the ending of Konkola Blades’ winning streak in the 2024/25 ZPL National League.
Despite dropping two points last weekend, the Chililambombwe-based club remains at the top of the standings, leading the promotion race by five points over their closest rival, Kansanshi Dynamos, who also dropped points in a 0-0 draw against Chambeshi Football Club at Independence Stadium.
Koffi said he knew how Konkola Blades were going to play, stating that he had never lost to them. He aimed to maintain his record against the Blades, even amid logistical challenges the team faced in recent weeks.
“If I have to dwell on the past, since I came to Zambia and I was with Kitwe, Konkola has never beaten me; it’s either we beat them here 1-0 and when we came to Kitwe we beat them 2-0. Last season we came here and we hammered them 1-0, and it has been like that. The secret is that they play good football, and when you play a team that plays good football, it gives you the picture of how to attack them,” he explained.
Koffie addresses boycott, Chambeshi reacts
Regarding the team’s recent training boycott, Koffi acknowledged it impacted their preparation, but he was pleased that the issues had been resolved.
“We had shortcomings in the previous two weeks; we didn’t train for two weeks, and we lost our rhyme, and we lost a few things that make a game. We are going back home and reorganizing ourselves so that in the next game we shall come back to winning ways,” Kofi said.
Meanwhile, Blades coach Beston Chambishi expressed satisfaction with the draw, recognizing Koffi’s impressive record against his team.
“It is good for him, and it is a record for him; let’s hope he keeps that record. Am sure we will meet again; this is the first leg we have met; it will be my first time I will be there, and so we will see how we are going to handle the game. It was a tough game; it was their draw,” Chambeshi remarked.
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