The arrival of the duo Idriss Mbombo and Jackson Jesse Were forced Jackson Mwanza to fall on the hierarchy of strikers at Zesco United.

To make life hell for the 29 year old, the duo hit the ground running as soon as the term got underway.

The Kenyan international Were was leading the domestic scorers chart where as the Congolese Mbombo took the role of talismanic in Zesco’s CAF Champions league campaign.

It is said that a striker can only be in good books with the fans when he’s on form, Mwanza was not exceptional.

And it was double trouble as the former Al Merriekh striker had to tussle two battles: amending his relationship with the fans and negotiate for a node in the starting line up.

Breakthrough stories in football do not get bigger than the greatest ever come back of Liverpool from 3-0 to beat AC Milan on penalties in 2004-05 UEFA Champions league final.

This season in Zambia Super league, it certainly doesn’t get bigger than the story of the Zesco United striker.

Whoever had hidden Mwanza’s scoring boots made sure to return them at the right time when Idriss Mbombo accumulated a series of injuries.

The 2016 CAF Champions league scorers chart is led by Mfoh Udoh with 9 goals, Reda Hajhouj on with 7 goals and Jackson Mwanza occupying the third spot with 5 goals.

Back home, the former Zambia Super league top scorer has only managed to score 6 goals.

Alongside his teammates Jackson Jesse Were and Idriss Mbombo, Mwanza was nominated for the African based player of the year category at this year’s Glo CAF Awards.

This is the breakthrough story of a player who embarked a term as an out of favor striker but completed with something to be cherish after his career is long gone: a nomination in Glo CAF Awards.