By Kalumiana Kalumiana
Defending champions Red Arrows and Kabwe Warriors today seek wins in their respective Week 29 fixtures that could both define their top two interest with six games left to play.
At Nkoloma Stadium in Lusaka, 5th placed Arrows host relegation-fighting Nchanga Rangers.
Arrows have 44 points from 28 games and are eleven points behind leaders Power Dynamos who only face second positioned Zesco United on March 30.
In addition, Arrows are six points behind third placed Nkana who can’t even be usurped today by third positioned Warriors who have 45 points.
A draw or loss today for Arrows will technically see Power needing just two wins to end the latter’s reign as FAZ Super League champions.
Arrows coach Chisi Mbewe has been quite honest about the scenario ahead.
“The team has prepared well. A very important game against a good side. Our target is to fight for maximum points and ensure we fight tooth and nail in the remaining six games if we are to defend the league. It’s a game that will decide our fate,” Chisi said in his pre-match interview.
“The stage we have reached is not one where teams want to drop points. The league is competitive but we remain focused. We have to remain focused, united and fight as a team in this game.”
It has also been a tough last two months for Arrows who have won 2 and lost 3 of their 7 games during this timeline.
As for visiting Nchanga under George Lwandamina, the last four games have shown some optimism in which they are unbeaten with 2 wins and as many draws.
The most prominent of those results was a 2-0 home win over third-placed Nkana on February 22 that sparked Nchanga’s current good spell.
However, the pressure is still on Arrows with memories of the first leg meeting last November fresh after losing the first leg 1-0 away to Nchanga.
At Godfrey “Ucar” Chitalu Stadium in Kabwe, Kabwe Warriors’ new coach Alfred Kachinga will make his debut when they host Lumwana Radiants.
Kachinga has been hired to lift fourth-placed Warriors’ fading top-two race that has come about after a four-game winless run of one draw and three losses.
Warriors have not won a league match since February 15 when they defeated Zanaco 1-0 at the same venue.
Another winless result would seriously dent Warriors’ push for the early projected 60-point mark for a top-two finish.
But Kachinga is optimistic.
“You will see a change tomorrow,” Kachinga said. “We know it is going to be a tough game but my thoughts are that we just have to go flat out to collect the 3 points. Yes, the team had a slump but I believe that with what I have so far seen, the team will come up tops.”
Meanwhile, Lumwana are not going to make life easy today for Warriors
Lumwana occupy the top four place in the relegation zone at number 15 on 31 points and would not want to suffer back-to-back losses to Warriors who beat them 1-0 at their base on November 23.
FAZ Super League
Week 29
26/03/2025
Green Buffaloes – Napsa Stars
Indeni – Green Eagles
Kabwe Warriors’ – Lumwana Radiants
FC MUZA – Mutondo Stars
Red Arrows – Nchanga Rangers
