As Napsa Stars resilience is broken in extra time
Zanaco 2 Napsa Stars 1 after extra time as Isaac Chansa scores Barclays Cup final winner
Zanaco are the 2017 Barclays Cup champions after dispatching very good Napsa side, that showed discipline tactically and resilience. The match had to be decided in the extra time. After it ended 1all in regulation time.
Zanaco had to dig deeper – as so often they have failed to do in this competition– and showed immense spirit as they came from behind with goals by Felix Nyaende and returnee experienced Isaac Chansa with a well taken header.
They grab the only Cup in Zambia for the first in their history after failing at the final stage twice before.
For Napsa Stars a Barclays Cup campaign in which so much was expected has ended and now they have a fight to push for the top four and nothing more. No trophy. Not this year.
And that has to represent failure but you have to give praise to Napsa who made the league defending champions work extra hard for this title. In most of this encounter Napsa were a better side and they will live to regret the numerous chances that went begging and one spetacular save that Toaster Nsabata gave ZANACO to keep the Bankers in the contest, deep in extra time.
The last thing everyone expected was a game littered by fouls – some cynical – with chances at a premium.
But that is what unfolded until the encounter opened up gloriously, chaotically and end-to-end in the second-half.
Before that it had been completely dominated by Napsa Stars. But as we all know of Numba, that one change of letting Ernest keve go out and bring in Charles Zulu was the turn around for the contest
Key man Isaac Chansa who controlled the midfield in larger parts of the game had the composure to win it in extra time with a cool header.
Zanaco joins , Zesco , Power Dynamos, Napsa , Red Arrows and Green Buffaloes who have won the Barclays Cup.
We now have 30 goals scored in the Barclays Cup finals with three of the editions getting into the extra time. The 2007, 2012 and the 2017 editions.
Numba Mumamba as usual has masterminded another cup for Zanaco and now no one can doubt his understanding of his players and tactics to employ when the going gets tough.
Congratulations ZANACO!
