Kelvin Kaindu starts his Nkana tenure with a big continental test on Wednesday against Angola’s perennial continental campaigner Petro Atletico in a 2020/2021 CAF Champions League pre-group, first leg home fixture at Nkana Stadium in Kitwe.
Kaindu takes charge just over ten days following his predecessor Manfred Chabinga’s dismissal after Nkana advanced to this stage with an unconvincing 1-0 aggregate win over Bantu FC of Lesotho.
But Nkana head into the game following recent back-to-back league wins for the first time this season after an overall poor start to their 2020/2021 campaign.
“First of all the most important thing is for you to get a victory especially that you are playing at home,” Kaindu said.
“We are targeting to get an outright victory and hope that we keep a clean sheet as much as we try to defend to avoid our opponents getting an away goal.
“But what is important is for us to get a victory and see how we can close up the game.”
Meanwhile, Petro also come into the match unbeaten after defeating Akonangui 1-0 away in Equatorial Guinea but drew 2-2 at home in Luanda.
Petro are also gunning for a third successive group stage qualification after campaigning in the 2018/2019 CAF Confederation Cup and 2019/2020 CAF Champions League.
But it has never been easy for Zambian clubs against Angolan opposition who have proved stubborn with recent testament being Green Eagles and Power Dynamos who suffered bruising continental exits while Zesco United have endured torrid runs in group stage action.
However, Nkana are unbeaten against Angolan opposition and ironically Petro are the only club from the Western neighbours they have played.
Nkana drew 1-1 with Petro in Kitwe and beat them 1-0 away in Luanda in the second stage of the 1987 edition of the same competition then called the Africa Champions Cup.
