Kaindu: Zanaco are down but not out

by Staff Reporter

Monday Feb 21, 2022. 13:00

Kelvin Kaindu says Zanaco must continue believing in themselves despite losing their second successive Group A match on Sunday in the 2021/2022 CAF Confederation Cup.

The Zambian club lost 2-0 at home in Lusaka to Pyramids FC of Egypt to stay bottom of Group A on zero points at the end of match-day-two of the league phase of the competition.

Bafana-Bafana striker Fagrie Lakay scored a brace in the 45th and 83rd minutes at National Heroes Stadium to see Pyramids maintain command of Group A.

“It is not really over but it just makes it a bit difficult for us. We are in a group that has a team that is already on 6 points and we are trailing at the bottom,” Kaindu said.

“I think we were exposed in central defence and also losing two games in a row I think is not good for us.

“But it needs us to work extra hard. We came from Tunisia where we looked like a team that could have even picked up a point away from home but today we just cracked.”

The match comes a week after Zanaco’s 1-0 away loss in Tunisia to CS Sfaxien in a match that looked destined for a draw until they conceded a late penalty deep into the five minutes of time-added-on after 90 minutes.

Meanwhile, Sundays home defeat saw Zanaco still winless against Pyramids in Lusaka where they Egyptians beat them 3-0 on March 1, 2020 in the first leg of the 2019/2020 CAF Confederation Cup quarterfinals.

“There is still a bit of hope. The last time we lost 3-0 at home but we went there and we beat them 1-0 there so we still have to believe in ourselves,” Kaindu said.

Zanaco are on the road this week with a debut trip to Libya to face Al Ahli Tripoli on match-day-three in Benghazi on February 27.

Al Ahli jumped from third to second on Sunday after exchanging places with CS Sfaxien following a 2-1 home victory over the latter in Benghazi.

Sfaxien and Al Ahli are tied on 3 points after two games played.

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