The stage for the 2017 Barclays Cup final is set with both coaches declaring their teams ready for battle at the National Heroes Stadium on Saturday.

Republican President Edgar Lungu will be part of the crowd in a final that will pit 2014 winners Napsa Stars and Zanaco.

During a pre-match briefing Zanaco assistant coach Dabid Chilufya said that the bankers were motivated to do better than last year when they lost in the finals to Zesco United.

Chilufya said having not won the Barclays Cup in its 11 years of existence Zanaco would be hoping to record their first win.
“This cup is very important for us since Zanaco has not won this cup before. I believe this will be our first time to bank it,” he said.
“We are happy to be in the finals again, last year we came up as runners up, this year hope to get it.”

And Napsa Stars coach Linos Makwaza said that with the league title slipping off their hands the pensioners will be looking to lift the Barclays Cup.

Makwaza said the match will be tough with Zanaco chasing the title for the first time while Napsa Stars will be looking to win it again.
“This game will be very important, there is a team which wants to write history and another that wants to re-write history that is makes this game more interesting,” Makwaza said.
“With our team it has been a long journey, we started in the quarterfinals playing Green Buffaloes, in the semis we played Zesco United. I think the team is ready for the final.”

The winners will pocket K350, 000 while the runners up will walk away with K180, 000.

There will be a K15, 000 prize for the coach and player of the tournament while for each game the Man of the Match has been walking away with a K5, 000 prize.

Tickets for Saturday’s final are selling at K10 for the East wing while West Wing tickets will fetch K25 with VIP going for K150 and will be on sale at the stadium on Saturday morning.