Mufulira Wanderers head coach Lameck Banda has commended his players for their performance despite a heartbreaking semifinal exit to Power Dynamos in the ABSA Cup.
Wanderers matched their opponents for large spells in a tightly contested encounter that ended goalless in regulation time before being decided by a penalty shootout. Despite the disappointment of missing out on a place in the final, Banda chose to focus on the positives from his team’s display.
“Congratulations to Power Dynamos. No regrets — the boys did their part. We just couldn’t find the back of the net in regulation time,” Banda said, reflecting on the narrow defeat.
The Wanderers boss acknowledged that his side’s lack of cutting edge in front of goal remains an area of concern, admitting that their inability to convert chances ultimately proved costly.
“It’s something we need to keep working on. That has been one of our weaknesses,” he added, highlighting a key area for improvement moving forward.
Banda also downplayed suggestions that inexperience was behind the defeat, instead pointing to inconsistency and mentality as factors his team must address as they continue to develop.
“It’s about belief. One day they perform, the other day they don’t. But the experience they are gaining is important,” he explained.
Despite the setback, Wanderers can take encouragement from their overall performance against one of the league’s strongest sides, suggesting clear signs of growth as they build towards future competitions.
Meanwhile, Power Dynamos advance to the final and remain on course for a potential domestic double, underlining the fine margins that separated the two teams in a competitive semifinal.
The stakes remain high heading into the final, with the winners set to pocket K1,100,000, while the runners-up will receive K450,000. Individual awards will also see top performers earn K25,000 each for Player of the Tournament, Golden Boot, and Golden Glove, while Man of the Match winners in the remaining fixtures will take home K15,000.
