Kansanshi Dynamos have completed an eight-day pre-season training camp on the Copperbelt, with head coach Denis Makinka encouraged by the progress made as the Solwezi-based side continues preparations for the 2026 FAZ Super League season.
The Copperbelt camp provided Kansanshi with an opportunity to work on fitness, cohesion and communication while also testing the squad against different opposition. The team played four friendly matches during their stay, recording three wins and one draw, with their preparations capped by an impressive 3-1 victory over ZESCO United at the Trade Fair Grounds in Ndola on Saturday.
Kansanshi found the net through Mathews Tolopa, Keziron Kizito and Patrick Macheso as they finished their Copperbelt programme on a winning note. Makinka believes the camp has provided valuable lessons while helping the players develop a better understanding of one another on the pitch.
“I think so many positives, so many learning curves, and yes, I think we’ve improved in terms of fitness, much fitness, and also just the cohesion. I think there are so many areas that we’ve improved, communication, and you could just see during this last game that we’ve played how we are relating to each other,” Makinka said.
The Kansanshi coach, however, believes there is still considerable work to be done before the start of the competitive campaign. With time remaining before their opening league fixture, Makinka says the team can continue improving and reach the level required when the season begins.
“We have about a week, two weeks or three before we play our first game, so there’s still room for us to improve and to even do better than we have done so far.”
Makinka currently rates the team’s progress at around 65 percent but remains confident that the remaining preparation period will allow Kansanshi to raise their level further.
“Overall, I’m happy, 65 per cent. I think with the little time that we are remaining with, we’ll be able to reach the percentage that we need to be at before we play our first game.”
The coach acknowledged that the squad experienced difficulties during the early stages of preparation but believes the improvement is now becoming increasingly visible.
“But I think so far, so good. We struggled a bit in the first weeks, but now you can see that the progress is there.”
Kansanshi established their temporary base in Kitwe and began their friendly schedule on September 8 with a double-header against Jumulo FC in Luanshya. They won the opening encounter 2-0, with Joseph Ssemujju and Babe Musangala getting on the scoresheet, before the second meeting ended in a goalless draw.
The team then travelled to Kitwe on September 10 for their penultimate friendly against Kitwe United, securing a narrow 1-0 victory courtesy of Francisco Madinga.
The 3-1 victory over ZESCO United subsequently provided a strong finish to an eight-day camp that produced an unbeaten record and gave Makinka further opportunity to assess his players ahead of the new campaign.
Kansanshi now return their focus to their final preparations before beginning their 2026 FAZ Super League campaign. The Solwezi side will open the season away from home against top-flight newcomers Makeni All Stars at Woodlands Stadium in Lusaka on October 4.
With the Copperbelt camp now complete, Makinka and his technical team have a remaining window to fine-tune the squad, build on the encouraging friendly results and address the areas that still require improvement before the first competitive test arrives.
