Buffaloes trying to adjust without Samu

by Staff Reporter

Monday Jan 31, 2022. 09:00

Green Buffaloes coach Justin Chinama believes they can hold their own despite selling their top scorer Friday Samu to Maritzburg United.

Samu moved to the South Africa PSL club a week ago on a two-year deal.

The 26-year-old striker , who last played for Zambia at CHAN 2018 in Morocco, has left some big shoes to fill at the 2021/2022 FAZ Super League ex-pacesetters where he scored 14 goals before moving to Maritzburg.

“Yes, we are trying to mend where Samu has left a gap but in case we don’t find anyone, we will use the manpower that we have,” Chinama said.

“I think we have enough manpower to cover up for Friday Samu’s position.”

Samu’s last goal for Buffaloes came in appropriate fashion with a stoppage time equaliser when he converted a penalty in their 1-1 away draw at Lusaka Dynamos on January 7 in Lusaka.

That match also saw the end of Buffaloes fifteen-game reign as leaders of the FAZ Super League.

Buffaloes have now fallen from first to fifth on 32 points, ten points behind Red Arrows who replaced them at the summit.

Interestingly, Arrows this Saturday beat Buffaloes 3-2 away in their Lusaka derby clash to see them extend their winless run to nine games in which they have collected just four draws during the two-month-long drought.

“It is still an open race. I think with thirteen games to go, we can still rise up and get back to top position,” Chinama said.