FLASHBACK: Nkana striker Festus Mbewe (left) tries to beat Zesco United defender Nyambe Mulenga during the Super Division Week 13 match at Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola on June 29, which Zesco won 3-1.
By ROBINSON KUNDA and YANDE KAPEMBWA
NKANA have been handed a tricky draw against Nchanga Rangers while Zesco United will take on Red Arrows in the 2014 Samuel ‘Zoom’ Ndhlovu Charity Shield semi-finals next Saturday at Kitwe’s Arthur Davies Stadium.
Nkana won the right to compete in the annual competition as Super Division champions, Zesco were runners-up, Rangers finished third while Arrows as Barclays Cup holders.
Arrows finished fifth on 47 points, two behind fourth-placed Zanaco.
According to the draws conducted at Football House in Lusaka yesterday, the game between Zesco and Arrows will get underway at 13:00 hours and two hours later Nkana and Rangers will stroll onto the pitch.
Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) head of administration and competitions Julio Chiluba said the final will be on February 22 at a venue to be announced.
Chiluba said the proceeds from the matches will be handed to President Sata, who is FAZ patron, to donate to the charity of his choice.
He advised teams involved in the Charity Shield to ensure their players are registered to avoid confusion.
And Nkana coach Masautso Mwale described the draw as fair.
Mwale said in Kitwe yesterday that the game will be interesting because Rangers are strong.
“To some extent this game will help us prepare for the CAF Champions League match against Mbabane Swallows. I am saying to some extent because we might use the players that we have not registered for continental games because we have a lot of players,” he said.
Last season, Nkana beat Rangers 1-0 away before walloping the Chingola outfit 4-1 in Kitwe.
Rangers coach Fighton Simukonda is relishing facing Nkana.
“It is going to be a good game. As you know, we have lost about seven players and we are rebuilding the team. All in all I am looking forward to facing Nkana,” said Simukonda, a former Nkana defender.
Arrows coach George Lwandamina described the clash against Zesco as fair.
“We just have to prepare very well. The only bad thing is that our team has just started training but everything is just okay,” Lwandamina said.
His Zesco counterpart Tenant Chembo said they will prepare adequately for the match.
“Arrows is a good team and they have a quality technical bench but we just have to compete,” said Chembo, who is preparing for the 2014 Confederations Cup.
Zesco edged Arrows 1-0 in Lusaka and the return meeting in Ndola ended goalless.
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