Wezzy Kumwenda and Innocent Kashita’s early goals were vital in Nkwazi FC’s 2-1 win over home side, Green Buffaloes, in the defense derby at Edwin Imboela Stadium.
Kumwenda opened the scoring in the second minute, while Kashita added a second 16 minutes later, in a Week 13 fixture of the Zambian Premier League.
Green Buffaloes responded with a penalty from Lucky Bwalya just before the break, but Nkwazi’s defense held strong in the second half to collect three vital points.
Aggrey Chiyangi, the coach of Nkwazi, was gushing about his team’s performance after the final whistle.
“Firstly, I need to give credit to the players for the way that they played because whatever we planned for, that is what they did. I think they have done 90% of what we planned, which is very good,” Chiyangi said.
Green Buffaloes, sitting second on the log after 12 games, had been enjoying a strong start to the 2024/25 MTN FAZ Super League season.
However, Chiyangi’s side effectively exploited their defensive lapses.
Chiyangi targets ABSA Cup Qualification.
“When you look at Buffaloes, they are playing very well. The only thing that we did was to understand where their strength is, and that is what we tried to caution. Their strength is the attack, but in defense, I think they get carried away with the attack. If you look at the goals that we scored, most of them were on the counterattack,” Chiyangi explained.
With four games remaining in the first round, Nkwazi’s victory moved the police side, into the top five on the log. Chiyangi is certain that two more victories will guarantee their ABSA Cup berth.
“This game has given us a very big momentum. It’s an advantage for us because we have won this game, meaning that from the four games remaining, if we can manage to win two, it means we are already in that cup (ABSA Cup). What is important for us is to concentrate, make sure that we don’t slip, and focus on the games that are coming,” he added.
In a Week 14 fixture, Nkwazi will welcome a challenging opponent, Power Dynamos, in a home fixture, who are coming off a 3-1 victory over Napsa Stars at Arthur Davies Stadium in Kitwe.
