Nchanga Rangers Football Club head coach Robert Tembo is disappointed to see his side suffer a 2-1 defeat to Green Eagles FC.
The home defeat comes just days after Nchanga had managed to earn a hard-fought point against Nkana Football Club, who secured a 1-3 victory over Mufulira Wanderers on Saturday, following their poor run in the season.
“For sure, very painful loss after playing well on Wednesday against Nkana, securing a point there, and coming at home losing all three points. It’s a very painful loss,” Tembo said.
With only nine points from a possible 27, Nchanga Rangers have won two matches, drawing three, and losing four.
Tembo emphasized the importance of picking up points to stay in the Zambian Super League, especially for a team with a history of struggling to maintain its top-flight status after promotion.
“It’s going to be difficult for us”-Tembo.
“Like I said, it’s very tough and painful,” he shared. “For sure, like Nchanga Rangers—a team which we really need to survive and stay in Premier—we have to make sure these things should not be repeating. For a team which has got a target, we have to be winning games home and away.”
He stressed the urgency of avoiding unnecessary defeats as the season progresses.
“We have to pull up our socks because, as we drop points, the games keep going. It’s going to be difficult for us if we don’t work harder.”
When asked about the pressure he’s facing due to the team’s inconsistent results, Tembo was candid.
“Pressure always is there. When you win the game, you lose the game. In football, pressure is everywhere. Like in this situation, the pressure is too much. We’ll go back to the drawing board and try to rectify the mistakes we are making and start picking points.”
Rangers are 14th on the log, just one step above Zanaco FC, who are in the relegation zone.
