Zesco United coach George Lwandamina has described Saturday’s 2-0 away win over Black Mamba of eSwatini as an efficient start to their 2019/2020 CAF Champions League campaign.
The preliminary round, first leg match was also Zesco’s first competitive game of the 2019/2020 season before they kick-off their domestic campaign on August 31 at home against archrivals Zanaco.
Lwandamina again insisted that all of Zesco’s continental games will be treated like Cup finals as they seek their fifth successive group stage qualification in CAF Inter-Club competition.
“Every game you play in a Cup tournament is a final because on that particular day, there must be a team that drops out. I know it is two legged game, but I said when we came here that we will try and collect a point here and then finish it off when we go back to Zambia,” Lwandamina said.
Lwandamina, though, believes Black Mamba were no pushovers despite the away win that also saw Zesco keep a clean sheet.
Zesco took a 1-0 halftime lead through new boy Umaru Kasumba in the 7th minute, on Ugandan strikers’ club debut, before John Chingandu completed the job in the 53rd minute.
“I told you that it would be a tough game because, for us, it is just our third week of our pre-season, so this game was part of our pre-season because in football they are no short cuts,” Lwandamina said.
“They are a good side, they were able to knock the ball around, they had the endurance, and they saw it all in the 90 minutes and were coming at us and they didn’t falter.
“But having won the game here, and like I said it is part of the pre-season, we will continue with the preseason but with the view that we have to qualify to the next round.”
Zesco host Green Mamba in the final leg on August 24 at Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola needing a home draw to advance to September’s pre-group stage.
Local Zambian foot ball I miss it a lot. Last time I visited I took my friend for a match and they enjoyed it. Very relaxed atmosphere and you feel safer.