Kansanshi Dynamos suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat to Nkana FC in their Week 7 2026 ZPL Transitional League encounter at Nkana Stadium on Wednesday afternoon, with Charles Zulu’s second-half strike proving decisive.
The Fearless Mabanga Boys travelled to Kitwe hoping to bounce back from their recent home draw and collect a positive result. However, despite a competitive display and several promising opportunities, the Solwezi outfit were unable to find the back of the net.
Both teams created chances in an evenly contested first half. In the 23rd minute, a slick combination between Brighton and Kizito ended with Kizito’s effort crashing against the crossbar. Nkana also threatened, but Charles Zulu was denied by an important save from Gwazani Banda in the 30th minute.
Kansanshi continued to search for an opening, with Beby Musangala coming close in the 40th minute after his curling effort narrowly missed the target.
The breakthrough eventually arrived seven minutes into the second half when Zulu found the back of the net in the 52nd minute, giving the hosts a 1-0 advantage.
Kansanshi’s technical bench responded with tactical changes in an attempt to get back into the contest. Mathews Tolopa was introduced at the start of the second half, while Zeliat Nkhoma and Rodgers Lukonde came on in the 70th minute for Musangala and Remmy Chanda.
Further changes followed in the 77th minute, with Julius Mwanza and Clinton Lubula replacing Kizito and Joseph Ssemujju. Despite the attacking adjustments, Kansanshi could not find an equaliser as Nkana held on to secure all three points.
Reacting after the match, Kansanshi head coach Denis Makinka described the defeat as painful, insisting that a draw would have been a fairer reflection of his side’s performance.
“It is a painful loss. At least the result could have been a draw. But football is what it is. One small mistake can change everything,” Makinka said.
The coach explained that his side had anticipated Nkana’s approach and adjusted their tactics early in the match. He said Kansanshi managed to frustrate the hosts by forcing them into playing long balls, while his players looked to retain possession and build their attacks.
However, Makinka identified a failure to clear their lines as the costly moment that allowed Nkana to score.
“We were controlling the ball and frustrating them the way they had planned to play. We saw how they wanted to approach the game, and we changed our approach in the first five minutes. They started playing long balls, and when we collected the ball, we put it on the ground. But just that one mistake, we got the ball and couldn’t clear our lines, and they got that goal,” he added.
Makinka also explained that the substitutions were intended to give his team more attacking options after falling behind. He singled out Rodgers Lukonde’s introduction, saying his overlapping runs were expected to provide additional support and deliveries into the penalty area.
“We needed to start attacking after conceding. We needed more manpower going forward, so we thought of bringing in Rodgers Lukonde, who is able to make overlapping runs and deliver into the box. We tried, but in the end, we couldn’t put the ball behind the net,” he explained.
The defeat leaves Kansanshi Dynamos with work to do as they look to regroup and respond positively in their next assignment.
FULL TIME: Nkana FC 1-0 Kansanshi Dynamos
⚽ Charles Zulu 52′
Nkana FC now lead Stream A with 13 points, following their 1-0 victory over Kansanshi Dynamos. Kansanshi, meanwhile, sit sixth with five points.
