Zanaco wrapped-up their opening pre-season doubleheader weekend with a second successive emphatic win when they beat Zimbabwean visitors Mwana Africa 3-0 in an international club friendly played at Sunset stadium Lusaka this afternoon.Zanaco went 1-0 up into the break through new signing and Zambia Under 17 international striker Chisamba Lungu in the 32nd minute.

Midfielder Martin Daka made it 2-0 four minutes after the hour-mark.

Mwana defender Chipo Tsodzo turned the ball into his own net not long after that on 67 minutes to see Zanaco complete a double over Zimbabwean opposition in a space of 24 hours.

On Saturday, Zanaco crushed Zimbabwean top-flight champions Highlanders 4-0 at the same venue in another international club friendly.

Meanwhile, Highlanders’ second game today against Green Buffaloes was cancelled after the Zimbabwean champions decided to return to their Bulawayo base this morning.

Zanaco and Buffaloes are using their early pre-season games as part of the two teams participation in the 2007 Caf Africa Champions League and Confederations Cup’s respectively.

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Zanaco’s pre-season preparations got off on a high today when they beat Zimbabwean league champions Highlanders 4-0 in an international club friendly played club at Sunset stadium in Lusaka.And on the other side of the Capital at Independence stadium this afternoon, Green Buffaloes were held to a 1-1 draw by another Zimbabwean club Mwana Africa in another international club warm-up.

Zanaco’s win over Highlanders was secured thanks to a hat-trick from Winston Kalengo with goals in the 35th 48th and 63rd minutes of the match.

Ignatius Lwipa helped Zanaco go 2-0 up into the break with the Bankers’ second goal in the 42nd minute.

At Independence, Buffaloes rallied late from 1-0 down thanks to an 87th minute goal from Ezekiel Lungu after Mwana had taken the lead seven minutes earlier through Cleophas Charera.

On Sunday, Buffaloes host Highlanders while Zanaco take on Mwana at Sunset.

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The Zambia Under 20 team wrap-up their 12-day training camp in South Africa on Monday with a morning warm-up match prior to departure on the same day for Congo-Brazzaville to take part in the Caf Africa Youth Championship.The squads earlier announced training match against Jomo Cosmos scheduled for this weekend has been cancelled because the club has a league commitment this Sunday.

Zambia will instead play defending South Africa top-flight champions Mamelodi sundowns on Monday just before taking off for Brazzaville later in the day.

George Lwandamina’s squad open their Africa Youth Championship on January 21st against the tournaments defending champions Nigeria.

In other local football news, defending league champions Zanaco this weekend play two international friendly matches against Zimbabwean opposition on Saturday and Sunday at Sunset stadium in Lusaka.

On Saturday, Zanaco host Zimbabwean champions Highlanders and 24 hours face Mwana Africa at the same venue.

Elsewhere, Power Dynamos have confirmed caretaker coach Lawrence Mweembaas the Arthur Davies clubs head trainer for the next two years.

Mweemba has been handed the post permanently after earlier taking temporal charge at Power following the departure of Englishman Eddie May last September following six months at the helm.

Mweemba, a former Power and Circuit Chiefs player, joined the Power bench in 2005 after he was fired at Afrisports during the latter clubs’ debut top-flight campaign that season before being relegated.

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FRANCE: Striker Jacob Mulenga came off the bench for his Ligue 2 club Chateauroux on Friday to score the games lone goal in a friendly game away to CFA league side Montlucon in the 63rd minute. 9th placed Chateauroux resumes their Ligue 2 campaign on January 12 with a home game against 14th positioned Cretiel.

SOUTH AFRICA: KAIZER CHIEFS SUPERSPORT UNITED- Attacking midfielder James Chamanga played the opening 83 minutes for 4th placed SuperSport United on Saturday in their 2-0 away win over Kaizer Chiefs who are above them and 3rd from top. Chamanga was not on target. Chiefs striker Rotson Kilambe did not play for Chiefs.

JOMO COSMOS-Midfielder Felix Katongo scored a hat-trick on Sunday for 9th placed Jomo Cosmos in their 4-2 win away to bottom of the table Amazulu.

MOROKA SWALLOWS-Striker Songwe Chalwe started from 8th placed Moroka Swallows but was not on target in their 2-2 home draw with 12th positioned Black Leopards on Sunday. Chalwe was subbed in the 74th minute.

WITS- Striker Noah Chivuta played the full 90 minutes but did not score for number 2 placed club Wits on Saturday 3-0 home victory over fellow promoted club Benoni United who lie in 10th position.

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Jericho Shinde was on Saturday fired as Nkana head coach and on the same day long-serving chairman Chris Mpundu stepped down as club head. Shinde has been replaced by another former Nkana great Kenneth Malitoli who has been his assistant since August last year. Malitoli has been offered a six-month deal.Mpundu meanwhile voluntarily stepped down after four years at the helm. Half of Mpundu’s reign has been during Nkana’s current dark days in the lower leagues where the record 11-time league champions have been campaigning since being relegated for the first time in their history at the end of the 2004 season.

“Chris Mpundu is stepping down because he wants to concentrate on his business-in short he has citing pressure of work saying he has been in the post for too long,” Club secretary Ken Mwansa said today in Kitwe. “Shinde has been relieved of his duties because we cannot afford to have two coaches and he did very well for us last season to see Nkana come third.” Mwansa added that Malitoli, who rejoined his childhood club as Shindes’ number 2 last August, will take sole charge of coaching duties during his half-a-year tenure. Shinde departs after joining Nkana in August 2005 after he was sacked as coach at Afrisports FC.

Nkana missed out of promotion back to the top-flight last season after finishing 3rd on 54 points behind promoted clubs Zamtel FC and Roan United who were 2nd and 1st on 57 and 64 points respectively.

The Kitwe club this coming season enter their successive year campaigning in Faz division 1 north after their suffering their first ever demotion in 2004. And in other league news, Nchanga Rangers have settled on Dick Ngwenya as their new head coach to replace Richard Kasune who was fired towards the close of last season. Ngwenya, who was appointed today, was chosen ahead of two other candidates namely ex-Mufulira Wanderers coach and player Alex Musungu and Nkwazi’s Oswald Mutapa Jr.

Ngwenya has been handed a performance related 1-year contract and takes charge at the 1998 league champions with immediate effect. He will be assisted in his duties on the bench by ex-Roan United and Zambia international John Lungu and Israel Mwanza. Ngwenya was Zesco United head coach until last July and has also had stints at Kabwe warriors and INDENI.

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The 2007 football season will kickoff during the weekend of March 3-4. All week 1 games in the top-flight will be played on the 3rd while lower division matches will take place 24 hours later but no fixtures have been released yet by FAZ.

Meanwhile the season opening 2007 Samuel “Zoom” Ndhlovu Charity Shield will be played on February 26 at a venue to be announced by Faz. Faz did not say what format this year’s Charity Shield will take after last years competition saw the league champions, Mosi, BP and Coca Cola Cup winners paired in a semifinal playoff.

2006 League winners Zanaco are the Shields’ defending champions including the BP Top 8. Zesco United and Kabwe Warriors are the Mosi and Coca Cola Cup holders respectively.

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