ABSA Cup defending Champions Napsa Stars FC failed to qualify for the Absa tournament after they were held to a 1-1 draw by Nkana FC at the National Heroes Stadium on Saturday.

Napsa Stars head coach Perry Mutapa said: “I am very disappointed we are not defending the Cup, but for us, as a team, it’s a learning curve. In football when you test success it’s always going to ring into your mind that you have to test it again and we really wanted to play in the Absa and defend the cup.

“Defending Cups or Leagues is a difficult thing but as a team, we really wanted to do that, we know we are in another league which is the Premier League so it’s not easy.”

Mutapa who won the ABSA cup with Napsa stars last season after beating Red Arrows FC by a goal to nil added that his team will now shift focus on the Super League.

“We had two targets, the short-term target was to defend the Absa cup and our long-term target is first to stabilize in the league and be a team to reckon with in the premier league,” he said. “It’s a big blow to the team, we are out of Absa but we have to concentrate and focus on the league and do well in the coming leagues.”

This is the second time in a row the Absa Cup will not have the defending Champions participating in the Competition.

Lusaka Dynamos who were the defending Champions last season also failed to qualify for the tournament as they were later relegated to the National League.