ZANACO head coach Numba Mumamba has challenged his players to hit the ground running when the Bankers begin their MTN Transitional League campaign against Nchanga Rangers at Nchanga Stadium in Chingola on Saturday.
The Bankers will make the trip to Chingola for a 15:00 kick-off, with Mumamba stressing that there is little room for a slow start given the shortened nature of the transitional campaign. The coach wants his team to approach the opening fixture with the mindset of securing maximum points rather than allowing their rivals to gain an early advantage.
“This game is important because we have to go there with winning in mind because this league is short. Once you start this league struggling, then you find other teams have already gone ahead,” Mumamba said.
The Zanaco coach believes the opening fixture could set the tone for the campaign, making a positive result against Nchanga Rangers particularly important. With fewer matches available during the transitional season, Mumamba knows that dropping points early could make it more difficult for the Bankers to keep pace with their competitors.
“That’s why we need to make sure that we are at our best as we play Nchanga Rangers so that we get a positive result.”
Zanaco have used their preparations for the new campaign to work on integrating several new players into the squad. According to Mumamba, the newcomers have settled quickly and have already increased competition for places within the team.
The coach has been encouraged by the level of coordination displayed during the team’s training games and believes the new arrivals have added value to the squad rather than disrupting its balance.
“The coordination is looking very good from the new guys who have joined us. They have brought in that competition,” he said.
“From the training games that we have had so far, the team is coordinating and has jelled in so far.”
The challenge now is to transfer that progress from the training ground into a competitive environment. Mumamba wants the new players to reproduce the same level of understanding and intensity when Zanaco face Nchanga Rangers in their opening fixture.
“They have settled quickly and we only hope they can pick up what they are doing in training now going into the first game of the season. They have added value to the team, so we expect them to go there and perform.”
One of the major areas Zanaco have focused on during their preparations is finishing. Mumamba believes the team created enough opportunities during the previous campaign but did not convert a sufficient number of them, and he wants his players to be more clinical in front of goal this time around.
The coach is particularly focused on ensuring that Zanaco make their chances count when opportunities arrive against Nchanga Rangers.
“Of course, when we went there, we had a number of chances that we couldn’t convert, but we’ve worked on our finishing,” he said.
Mumamba has therefore challenged the players who get into scoring positions to apply the correct technique and make better decisions inside the final third.
“We hope the guys who will have an opportunity at goal will do the right thing by applying the right technique in front of goal so that we can convert the chances that will come in that game.”
That emphasis on efficiency could prove important as Zanaco begin a campaign in which every point could carry significant weight. The Bankers want to avoid the frustration of creating opportunities without being rewarded for their efforts, particularly in a shortened league where there is less time to recover from dropped points.
Beyond his players, Mumamba has also called on Zanaco’s supporters to continue providing their backing throughout the campaign. The coach acknowledged the support the fans have given the club during both difficult and positive periods and believes their continued encouragement will be important as the team begins the transitional season.
“We urge the fans to continue supporting the team. They have been there in good and in bad times, they’ve been there,” Mumamba said.
“We expect them to replicate the same attitude so that together we can perform better.”
Zanaco will head into Saturday’s encounter with the advantage of a positive recent head-to-head record against Nchanga Rangers. In their last 10 meetings, the Bankers have recorded five victories, while two matches have ended in draws and Nchanga Rangers have won three times.
However, Mumamba’s focus is firmly on the current campaign rather than past results. With the transitional league set to move quickly, Zanaco’s objective will be to turn their preparations into a strong opening performance at Nchanga Stadium.
The Bankers have spent the build-up period integrating new players, improving coordination and working specifically on their finishing. Those preparations will now be tested in a competitive fixture against a Nchanga Rangers side playing at home.
For Mumamba, the message is straightforward: Zanaco cannot afford to wait for the season to settle before finding their rhythm. They need to start with intent, take their chances and come away from Chingola with a positive result.
The opening whistle at 15:00 on Saturday will provide the first opportunity for the Bankers to demonstrate whether their preparations have laid the foundation for the strong start their coach is demanding.
