Stade Malien's disbelief must be very nearly as great as their despair. It can only be dwarfed by the exultation of Zesco United , who have surely reduced next week's return leg of the CAF African Champions League quarter-final to a statutory obligation.
That is the least of the wonders for George Lwandamina, a manager whose interim status at the helm of the Zambian National Football team is in even deeper doubt.
How could the owner of Zesco United bear to watch him return full-time to his post with Zesco United now? Lwandamina shone in all areas and his preparation of the set-pieces exposed unsuspected defects in Stade Malien's zonal marking at corners.
The Congolese centre-forward Idriss Mbombo struck twice late on to seal a 3-1 win for Zesco United. Winning an away game in West Africa is always a very difficult task.
The Âvictors were irresistible. Everything worked and the addition of the Kenyan midfielder, Anthony Akumu to the team has profound resonance now that his close attention has left West African teams looking very average at best.
This is as heavy a margin of home defeat as West Africans have ever known in continental competition. It is a statistic that also underlines how potent they almost always are at their stronghold.
Zesco United, all the same, were buoyant and nothing could unsettle them for long, not even the loss of the evening's first goal.
Stade Malien broke the deadlock in the 20th minute and, giving a misleading Âimpression of what was to come, did so with scant hindrance.
Zesco United had suffered a collective malfunction then, but the ensuing lapses were all Stade Malien's. Jesse Were was soon dispossessing the Stade Malien full-back to Ârelease ÂIdriss Mbombo and, while the Ivorian's shot was saved, it was a sign of things to come from Were on the right.
Lwandamina preferred Mbombo to Jackson Mwanza and he reacted with an impact that is at odds with past unobtrusiveness. The West Africans, for once, did not have a credible battleplan. When Zesco United's equaliser did arrive, it seemed unfeasibly overdue. Seven minutes from half-time, Mwape Mwelwa grabbed Zesco United's equaliser.
Falling behind on the score sheet proved to be a liberation for an adventurous Zesco United. Mbombo continued to be provided with openings, but wasted them for a while, as when he rammed a drive high after Misheck Chaila had located him meticulously. Before that, the visitors' centre-forward had been disappointed when his build-up work was not brought to fruition.
For a while, there was an erratic streak to this clash. Untypically, Kondwani Mtonga, for instance, had let himself be robbed by Torres in the first half and the dipping, bending attempt that ensued from the hosts came close to establishing a 2–0 advantage. That was virtually the last glimmer of menace from Stade Malien.
The words of the Stade Malien coach must have been roundly ignored in the dressing room.
They were scatty in the 52nd minute as Mbombo linked with Akumu and burst clear.
The openness of the action was Âbewildering and it led to brief mayhem. In one of many slipshod moments, the Stade Malien defense Âneglected to clear and their goalkeeper came haring out for the loose ball.
Zesco United had too much command to dwell on that and kept punishing a Stade Malien team that had unravelled. Stade Malien omitted to mark Mbombo as he grabbes his second goal after 76 minutes. Lwandamina's team made the opposition look demoralised at their third goal.
It took no less than about 10 minutes for Mbombo to score the 3rd goal for Zesco United which had surely killed off Stade Malien's resistance.
The win will be relished at Zesco United, but the promise it held must be more stirring still.
Zesco United have continue to be Malian clubs' worst nightmare in the CAF African Champions League. Mbombo has now extended his continental tally to four goals since his move from Kabwe Warriors in the 2016 season. Zesco host Stade Malien on April 19 at the Estadio de la Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola, Zambia knowing a draw will suffice for George Lwandamina’s team to advance to the group stage in June. And it was in Mali in 2009 when Zesco made history to become the first Zambian club to qualify to the group stage in continental club football after drawing 0-0 away to Djoliba to advance 2-1 on aggregate.