Zesco United vs Nkana FC (Zambian Super League) — November 2 Opposition Analysis with Alejandra Buit

Zesco United need to climb up the table with the end of the season approaching. In previous seasons, when the distraction of CAF African Champions League football was not there, a game against Nkana would have been exactly what they needed. And with the fixture having been completely one-sided historically, this might just be the game which clinches a third consecutive league title for Zesco United...

The 2014 season

If ever there was a season for Nkana to establish themselves as the dominant force in Zambian football, it was the 2014 season. Instead, they fell short and brought a period of constant angst, rage and in-fighting amongst their especially rabid fanbase. In 2014, defending champions Nkana self-destructed in an almost unprecedented fashion; they were nowhere to be seen in the title race, collapsing under the weight of their own bloated expectations and fragile egos; The following season too was equally disappointing as they were never in the running once again. That 2014 season was all set for Nkana, the supposed superpower of Zambian football, to waltz to an unbelievably comfortable triumph.

Even when it seemed impossible for mental fragility, injuries, individual blunders at both ends and pure bad luck to cost them the title, that very combination of mental fragility, injuries, individual blunders at both ends and pure bad luck cost them the title. Having just dramatically lifted the Zambian Super League trophy the past season, Nkana promptly got their title defense off to a disappointing start with a 0-0 draw away to Napsa Stars and completely bottled their home straight, eventually finished seven points off eventual league winners Zesco United, in 4th place.

The current season & beyond

Given that Nkana has seemingly shown it to be impossible that they will ever beat Zesco United, there is little hope at Nkana Stadium that things will be any different this time around. Everyone knows Nknana have one of the best teams in the division, with frightening levels of technical ability, creativity and raw pace across the board; at the same time, everyone also knows that 1. they’ll shoot themselves in the foot and implode the first time the going gets tough, and 2. they are a mean hell of a centre-back, a top-notch holding midfielder and a clinical striker away from being a team capable of bulldozing its way to victory the way they did in the 2013 season. Once again, a meek title challenge will fritter away due to the their mental fragility and Nkana will end up in third or fourth. Once again, the fanbase will leave the internet awash with all manner of cringeworthy reactions. Once again, with success such a distant prospect at his club, Nkana will face a fight to keep their best players.

Tactics

Same old, same old: Nkana are not as one-dimensional as they were in the 2013 season, but the basic template of "hog the ball, walk it towards the goal, occasionally get done on the counter" is more-or-less the same. As everyone who’s ever watched football anywhere in the world now knows, Nkana are a sleek passing machine loosely designed to score lots of extremely pretty goals and every so often concede extremely embarrassing ones. As always, they’ll use their generic 4-2-3-1, with attacking full-backs, one playmaker alongside a more combative tackler and a pure number ten flanked by rapid inside forwards. Recent recruit Ronald Sate Sate Kampamba could be preferred up front given his more natural fit for the role. David Owino and Ben Adama Banh will have to be at their quickest, both physically and mentally, to preserve Zesco United's all-time unbeaten record against Nkana.

Strengths

Although everyone knows Nkana will probably never beat Zesco United, there’s no denying that Nkana remain very good at what they do. They know how to keep the ball. They are also really creative with it. As well as knowing how to use the ball, they know how to win it back. They are good at pretty much everything they need to be good at. Furthermore: Ronald Sate Sate Kampamba, Walter Bwalya and Fred Tshimenga are sensational and Scott Ngokene, Donashano Malama and Joseph Musonda are pretty handy too.

Weaknesses

If Nkana have weaknesses besides the obvious – and we will get to the obvious in due course – the most striking is that their shooting stats are not as dominant as they were in 2013. For the last decade, Zesco United have basically built an identity on being fully aware of this and mugging Nkana off twice a year en route to winning the trophies Nkana could have won were they not so unremittingly careless.

Likely XIs

With Zesco United's busy schedule packed with CAF African Champions League games, there are a few people who probably would expect Zesco to do some squad rotation, however we should expect both managers to go for their tried and tested starting elevens here.

Prediction

Nkana are Nkana, and Zesco United’s underlying statistics and performances this season particularly in the CAF African Champions League have been phenomenal. We have a feeling Zesco United will extend their unbeaten run against Nkana and nick it 2-1. With the depth of talent in the squad and home advantage at their disposal, Zesco United should be able to do enough to get over the line.