With three defeats across the ABSA Cup and the Super League, Numba Mumamba is seeking redemption when Zanaco FC take on bottom placed, Mines United in a Week 31 fixture at Sunset stadium on Saturday.
The Bankers are coming from a 2-0 defeat against Power Dynamos last Wednesday, while Mines United lost 1-0 in a Kabwe derby against Kabwe Warriors. The results positioned Zanaco FC in 7th place, while Mines United, at the bottom of the log, required a victory to sustain their hopes.
Speaking ahead of the match, Mumamba notes that playing teams aiming to survive the drop is usually tricky.
“It’s another important game that we have. After going through a bad patch, we’ve gone three games in the league without a win or a draw and lost to Chirundu in the quarter-finals of the Absa Cup,” he said.
“These are tricky fixtures that we coaches take seriously because we are expected to win at all costs. As a big team that has gone four games without a win, this is the time for us to redeem ourselves by working hard on the pitch. So that at the end of it, we collect the three points that we need. So that we can start pushing towards our objective of finishing in the top four brackets.”
He also reassured that his team remains focused on delivering on the field despite the congested fixtures.
Mumamba said this kind of fixture scheduling has been a common trend in various leagues across Africa and the world over, adding that it is the responsibility of coaches to manage the players so that they don’t burn out.
“We have psyched our team. They are very much ready and looking forward to this game. They play midweek and over the weekend” Mumamba explained.
He added, “As the technical bench, all we need is to know how to manage our players. So that we maintain our energy levels by rotating the players“
Despite sitting at the bottom of the table, Mumamba stated that he expects Mines United to come full throttle at Sunset Stadium.
He urged his strikers to finish off the chances that will be created.
“It is going to be an exciting game. Playing a determined Mines United, they have been playing excellent football since coach Charles Kafula joined them. So we expect a very tough game. But we, as a big team, have to make sure that we stamp authority from the word go,” said Mumamba.
“We have made sure that the chances that we create, we bury. Because this is something that has been costing us. We have been creating numerous chances in all the games that we are playing. However, our finishing has been disappointing us. We hope this time around when we create those chances, we bury them and get the desired goals.”
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