Zesco United coach Tenant Chilumba has criticized his players following their goalless draw against newly-promoted Konkola Blades in the MTN Super League opener.

The nine-time Zambian champions, playing at home in Ndola’s Levy Mwanawasa Stadium, failed to break down a Blades side making their return from National Division One.

Chilumba, who recently took charge of Zesco, admitted he was disappointed with his team’s wastefulness in front of the goal.

“I thought we underrated the team,” Chilumba said after the match. “If you look at the chances we missed in the first half, you cannot miss such chances in the Premier League. We still have to work on the finishing, which I was not happy with.”

The coach went further to describe the result as feeling “more like losing at home” but pledged to correct mistakes ahead of next week’s fixture.

Despite his frustration, Chilumba sought to reassure supporters.

“The players could have underrated Konkola Blades. We will work on the finishing. The fans should not worry,” he said.