Massive weekend matches in Zambia Super League

 

The battle for points at the top and bottom of the Zambia Super League continues this weekend with crucial clashes that will have a bearing on the title race and relegation.

Current leaders Zesco United are hoping to avoid a third defeat in a row when they travel to fourth-placed Lusaka Dynamos on Sunday, who are on a hot-streak after picking up a hat-trick of victories in recent weeks.

It is a big test for Zesco, who at one stage looked like runaway winners, but are in danger of being hauled in by the chasing pack if they don’t get back to winning ways soon.

Dynamos are looking to cement a place in the CAF Confederation Cup qualification places, with no less than eight teams still realistically in the mix.

Zesco have won the last three meetings between the sides, with Dynamos successful in just two of the last 23 clashes. One of those was a 1-0 home win in May 2019. Zesco won the reverse fixture earlier this season 2-0.

Also on Sunday, there is a mid-table clash between Green Buffaloes and Power Dynamos.

The latter are one of those clubs still in the mic for the Confederation Cup, but will likely have to win their three remaining games to stand a chance.

There are three huge games on Saturday, with second-placed Zanaco seeking to move within two points of Zesco, though they will have played two games more.

They host bottom side Kitwe United, who are already relegated and have only won two of their 30 games to date. It looks to be a home banker.

Defending champions Nkana FC will hope to continue their recent revival when they host Prison Leopards, who were once among the leaders but are not looking over their shoulder at the relegation scrap.

Nkana are currently six points from safety, but have three games in hand, and could close that gap to just three with a couple of matches spare.

They have won three of their last four games, including a thumping 4-1 success over fellow strugglers NAPSA Stars in midweek.

Leopards also won last time out, beating doomed Lumwana Radiants, but they have not won any of their last nine away games (D3 L6) dating back to December. They did claim the reverse fixture 2-0 at home though.

NAPSA Stars will move out of the relegation zone if they get a point at home to Green Eagles, and could rise as high as 12th with a win.

The draw has been the most common results in this fixture down the years, with 11 in the past 17 meetings, while there have been four wins for Stars and two for Eagles, the last in 2018.