By Kalumiana Kalumiana
It is Power Dynamos and ZESCO United’s turn this weekend to make a better representation of Zambian football when they kick off their CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup campaigns in preliminary stage first leg home and away ties respectively.
Power will face ASEC Mimosa of the Ivory Coast in their CAF Champions League tie while in the CAF Confederation Cup, ZESCO played FC 105 of Gabon.
Power and ZESCO’S continental campaigns come following recent concerns about the state of the domestic league following Chipolopolo’s poor showing at the 2025 CAF African Nations Championships (CHAN) in Kenya where Zambia lost all its Group A matches.
While clubs have strong elements of foreign-based players, it is the output from the local talent that will be closely assessed during Power and ZESCO’S campaign as they continue to push to reclaim the four continental slots Zambia lost four years ago.
Power will start their CAF Champions League campaign at home tomorrow when they host ASEC Mimosa of Cote d’Ivoire at Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola.
The match will mark Powers’ return to continental football for the first time since the 2023/2024 CAF Champions League when they were eliminated in the pre-group stages by Simba SC of Tanzania on away goals rule after a 2-2 draw at Levy Stadium and a 1-1 away result.
Power are particularly under pressure heading into their CAF Champions League campaign because they are yet to qualify to the group stages of continental football and have enviously watched Kitwe archfoes Nkana make 3 appearances.
But Power face ASEC unbeaten in the league this season with two wins and a draw and fresh from a 2-0 home victory over Napsa Stars on Saturday.
In that match, Kenyan striker import Moses Shuma scored a brace to open his account for Power and the onus on translating that into the CAF Champions League for what he was primarily brought in to do.
In the CAF Confederation Cup, ZESCO have made their debut trip to Gabon to play FC 105 in Franceville that will also be played on Sunday.
But Zambia’s most successful continental group stage campaigners are heading into their CAF Confederation Cup race with administrative challenges over the status of the coaches unveiled at the start of this season including non-registration of some new buys.
However, ZESCO has not at all sent a patched-up side but will still have the services of experienced names like defenders Kabaso Chongo and Eswatini international Lindo Mkhonta.
Midfielders Kelvin Mubanga Kampamba and Abraham Siankombo, plus Ivorian-born striker Freddie Michael form the glue that should give ZESCO some weight in terms of the basic benchmarks of continental pedigree.
Meanwhile, both respective final leg dates involving Power and ZESCO will be played during the weekend of September 26-28.
The winners will advance to the per-group stage where first leg fixtures are scheduled for the weekend of October 17-19 and the final legs for October 24-26.
Group stage action starts on November 28 and the knockout phase during the weekend of April 3, 2026.
