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By MOSES CHIMFWEMBE At Levy Mwanawasa Stadium –
Zesco 3 Nkana 0
ZESCO United were yesterday crowned 2014 Barclays Cup champions, thanks to a convincing victory over a 10-man Nkana side in an exciting final in Ndola.
The Ndola giants, who won the MTN Premier Division League championship last weekend, put up an impressive performance to pick the K250,000 top prize and preserved an admirable record that has seen them lift the trophy in each of the years they have won the league title.
Zesco won both the league and Barclays Cup in 2007, 2008, 2010 and now 2014.
With the Barclays Cup triumph, George Lwandamina became the first Zambian coach to win the trophy twice in a row with different clubs, having won the 2013 edition with Red Arrows.
Maybin Mwaba, Winstone Kalengo and Simon Silwimba scored a goal each to inspire the Zesco to victory.
Zesco had the first chance in the second minute before skipper Jackson Mwanza missed a golden opportunity, sending a shot straight at Rabson Mucheleng’anga.
Christopher Munthali could have put his side ahead on 30 minutes but his powerful header from a Joseph Sitali delivery came off the cross bar before Mwaba broke the deadlock with an easy tap in from Cletus Chota’s cross on the left flank.
Sensing danger, Nkana upped their game with Festus Mbewe hitting the crossbar six minutes later from another pinpoint cross from Sitali.
Nkana could not match Zesco’s midfield prowess marshaled by Justine Zulu as they failed to supply balls to an isolated Ronald ‘Sate Sate’ Kampamba upfront while the backline of Nyambe Mulenga and Emmanuel Mathias was on hand to deal with any threats.
After restart, Nkana had an early chance but Mbewe fired over the bar in the 46th minute with only Jacob Banda to beat.
A minute later, Kalengo showed how deadly he is in front of goal when he made no mistake to double the lead for his side with a clinical finish that saw a hapless Mucheng’anga stand still as the ball sunk in the net.
With two-goals down, the visibly subdued Nkana players could not gather pace to reply to Zesco’s advantage and calamity struck in the 54th minute when the former league champions were reduced to 10 after Maybin Chishimba was given marching orders by Kapiri Mposhi referee Jani Sikazwe.
Chishimba was sent off after accumulating a second yellow card for a crude challenge on John Ching’andu.
Kalengo could have completed his brace but this time, Mucheng’anga pulled off a superb save to parry the ball away on 64 minutes.
Kampamba, who was a silent figure in the game, had a chance to reduce the deficit for his side with 15 minutes left but sent his low drive straight at Banda.
Second half substitute Silwimba dashed Nkana’s hopes of an unlikely comeback when he fired his thunderbolt in the top right corner to make 3-0.
With little to offer, Nkana kept chasing the ball up to the final whistle.
Nyambe was voted man of the match for his outstanding display and walked away with K5,000 while Lwandamina bagged K10, 000 for being coach of the tournament.
