Nkana football club striker Walter Bwalya will this weekend return to action after serving a three match ban.
The Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) handed the Nkana talisman a three-match ban after being found guilty of inappropriate conduct during the ‘Samuel’ Zoom Ndhlovu Charity Shield final featuring Zesco United and Nkana at the Levy Mwanawasa stadium in Ndola.
The Joseph Jalasi-led disciplinary committee further fined Bwalya K2 200 for his unprofessional conduct during the match.
The 12 time champions started the season on a poor note with a disappointing draw at home to Nakambala Leopards. Nkana scored their goal through talisman Walter Bwalya who also missed a penalty in that same game.
Week two came with more bad news, A suspended Walter Bwalya and then Nkana went on to lose that weekend 1 nil to Nchanga Rangers. At this point fans were already calling for Zeddy Saileti’s head.
It seems too irrational but Nkana fans are not known to have alot of patience. The next encounter gave Saileti a life line as goals from Austin Muwowo and Shadreck Musonda gave Nkana their first three points of the season in match played at Heroes Stadium.
With only four points from 3 matches came Nkana’s nightmare fixture of the last 12 years, facing Zesco United. Most pundits thought it was a forgone conclusion that Nkana would lose to Zesco and the first 30 minutes was in line with that thought, Zesco United were already 2 nil up.
2014 Zambian player of the year Ronald Sate Sate Kampamba reduced the deficit with a beautifully taken strike. Ronald Chibwe scored Nkana’s second in the 76th minute. The match ended 2 all but the scoreline tells little of what happened on the pitch. Nkana dominated the match and could have won their second match against Zesco United in more than 15 matches but poor finishing let them down.
The MTN/ FAZ super league now enters week five with the 2013 Champions facing a tricky encounter against Green Buffaloes away in Lusaka. Walter Bwalya is back and that should be a relief to ” Aba Red” who score most of their goals through him.
It is clear that Nkana are slowly improving but will need to keep doing so if they are to win their first league title since 2013.
