By Kalumiana Kalumiana
After a disappointing 2026 AFCON campaign, the international football focus passes from Chipolopolo to the Zambian clubs when Power Dynamos and ZESCO United resume their continental group stage campaigns this weekend hoping to give football a much-needed lift at club level.
Power kick off their assignment first this Saturday in Group A of the CAF Champions League at Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola and while Zesco will be in action 24 hours later at the same venue in Group D of the CAF Confederation Cup.
The two sides are not immune from the malaise of the state of affairs in Zambian football and both head into the weekend having lost their respective opening two group stage fixtures.
Tomorrow Power hosts Nigerian representatives Rivers United hunting for their first points and first goal in Group A after losing 3-0 away to Group A leaders RS Berkane in Morocco on November 22 and 1-0 at home at Levy to ambitious Egyptian upstarts Pyramids FC on November 29.
Berkane and second-placed Pyramids are tied on 6 points heading into their top-two clash this weekend in Morocco.
Powers opponents Rivers United are also in the same boat winless but in 3rd place thanks to the goal they scored on match day two in a 2-1 home loss to Berkane in which they led one-nil into the end of the game until two dramatic stoppage time goals by the Moroccans.
One of the key focal points of Saturday’s game will be goalkeeper Willard Mwanza whose value rose with his 2025 AFCON exploits despite Chipolopolos’ poor overall performance.
Power coach Osward Mutapa said after three straight league wins since the start of 2026 after the three-week off-season break, those domestic results have given them hope of finally ending their losing start in Group A.
But Mutapa said the bigger picture is managing to stay consistent in their tight schedule of four Group A matches they will play between this weekend and February 13.
”A big one, actually, a very big boost.I call it a one month marathon, because we have to play four continental Games so we need a lot of players with a lot of mileage in their legs, so that even when you change, you don’t look lost,” Mutapa said.
Meanwhile, on Sunday, Zesco play probably the biggest crowd-puller continental fixture despite the game being in the second-tier CAF Confederation Cup when they host Kaizer Chiefs of South Africa.
Zesco and Chiefs have a history heading into their COSAFA zone continental derby.
Chiefs return to face Zesco for the first time since the 2019/2020 CAF Champions League pregroup stage.
It will be a grudge match after Zesco eliminated Chiefs in the pre-group stages winning 3-0 at home at Levy Stadium when Lazarus Kambole scored one against his soon-to-be future employers from South Africa.
Zesco then won 2-1 away at FNB Stadium in Johannesburg to qualify for the group stages.
But Chiefs come into the match with a point and are third in Group D after holding Zamalek to a 1-1 home draw at Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane on November 29.
And so the pressure is on Zesco who need to avoid a third successive Group D loss.
Elsewhere in Group D, Zamalek are second on 4 points, two behind leaders and Egyptian compatriots Al Masry who visit the former in Cairo tomorrow.
