Zanaco cut short party as league backlog looms

by Staff Reporter

Tuesday Dec 07, 2021. 11:00

Zanaco coach Kelvin Kaindu says there is very little time for them to celebrate their 2021/2022 CAF Confederation Cup group stage qualification with a grueling seven-match domestic schedule in December waiting for them when they land back in Lusaka from Mali.

The Lusaka club is the only Zambian club left standing in continental action this season after eliminating Binga FC of Mali to advance to the group stage 3-2 on aggregate.

Zanaco on Sunday lost 2-0 away in Bamako a week after beating the Malian club 3-0 on November 28 at home in Lusaka.

“We will not have much time to rest because we have to play catch up in the league where we will be required to play seven games in the next 20 days,” Kaindu said.

“But any draw is fair; all teams that have progressed are seasoned teams.”

Zanaco returns to continental group stage football next February for the first time since the 2019/2020 season when they reached the CAF Confederation Cup quarterfinals.

The group draws include three former champions led by record three-time winners CS Sfaxien of Tunisia.

Others are two-time champions TP Mazembe of the DR Congo and 2019/2020 winners RS Berkane of Morocco.

They head into the draws together with previous runners-up Orlando Pirates from South Africa and Algerian side JSK Kabylie.