Kaizer Chiefs will visit ZESCO United in Ndola on Sunday as both teams look to bounce back from less than ideal starts to the CAF Confederation Cup's Group D action.
Chiefs began their group stage campaign with a 2-1 away loss to Al Masry and then drew 1-1 at home to fellow Egyptian side Zamalek.
ZESCO, meanwhile, lost 1-0 on the road to Zamalek and then 3-2 at home to Al Masry. In a tough group, neither they nor Amakhosi can afford defeat in the third matchday.
The Glamour Boys returned to Betway Premiership action after the mid-season break with a 1-0 win over Golden Arrows on Tuesday to go third in the league. ZESCO have had a poor run of form in the Zambia Super League and sit seventh, but their last game was a 1-0 win over Kabwe on Saturday.
Only the top two teams in each Confederation Cup group progress to the quarter-finals. Al Masry lead the group with six after two games, while Zamalek have four, Kaizer Chiefs one and ZESCO none.
Key details
Date: Sunday, Jan. 25 at 15:00 CAT (13:00 GMT) Venue: Levy Mwanawasa Stadium, Ndola How to watch: The match is scheduled for broadcast on SuperSport's DSTV channel 205.
Team news
ZESCO have recently lost key attacking trio David Simukonda, Freddy Michael Kouablan (both to Ceramica Cleopatra) and Pascal Phiri to Pyramids FC.
For Chiefs, the injury crisis they faced in the first few months of the season has not fully abated. George Matlou, Sibongiseni Mthethwa, and Bradley Cross missed the win over Golden Arrows. However, Makabi Glody Lilepo was fit enough to start. Expected lineups
ZESCO United
GK Philip Sakauta
LB Shemmy Mayembe | CB Kabaso Chongo | CB Gift Prosper Mphande| RB Benedict Chepeshi
CM Vitalis Gantar | CM Lindo Mkhonta | CM Leonard Mulenga
LW Abraham Siankombo | ST Alex Ngonga | RW Kelvin Kampamba
Kaizer Chiefs
GK Brandon Petersen
LB Paseka Mako | CB Aden McCarthy | CB Inácio Miguel | RB Thabiso Monyane
CM Siphesihle Ndlovu | CM Lebo Maboe
LW Makabi Glody Lilepo | AM Mduduzi Shabalala | RW Mfundo Vilakazi
ST Khanyisa Mayo
Stats
ZESCO United are Zambia's joint-second most successful club in terms of Super League titles, with 9 to their name. Only Nkana (13) have won more, while Mufulira Wanderers are tied with ZESCO on 9.
A Zambian club has only won a CAF trophy once (when Power Dynamos were crowned African Cup Winners' Cup champions in 1991). The Cup Winners' Cup was a predecessor to the Confederation Cup.
ZESCO's best-ever performance in a CAF tournament came in 2016, when they made the Champions League semi-finals, but lost to eventual champions Mamelodi Sundowns. Kaizer Chiefs made the 2020-21 Champions League final, losing to Egypt's Al Ahly, and won the Cup Winners Cup' in 2001.