Zesco 0 Arrows 1

RED Arrows yesterday showed champion pedigree, outplaying 2010 title winners Zesco United on their home ground in Ndola before beating them in a rescheduled MTN Premier Division week 11 league match to soar away up the table.

The win saw the Zambia Air Force (ZAF) side leapfrog Konkola Blades, who themselves beat Zesco 1-0 to take over leadership of the table some four days earlier, and giving the Lusaka visitors a two point cushion.

Playmaker Mwape Mwelwa’s strike on 80th minute off a corner kick made all the difference, setting the stage for what should be an exciting second half of the season kicking-off this weekend.

This delayed mid-week clash against two title-chasers lined up last season’s leading scorer, Adubelo Phiri against footballer-of-the-year, Zesco goalkeeper Jacob Banda.

The ZAF side came into yesterday’s match on a high having notched up two consecutive 1-0 wins, defeating Zanaco at Sunset Stadium in Lusaka and edging Kabwe Warriors at Nkoloma.

The defeat yesterday left Zesco’s title aspirations suffering a major setback, and with their beleaguered fans cheering the skilful Lusaka side in closing stages of the match.

Arrows coach George Lwandamina, who relegated the 2010 coach-of-the-year Fighton Simukonda to the losing side, said after the match that they will just continue winning their games and see what happens at the end of the season.
[Times]