NKANA FC! GUNNING FOR THE 13TH TITLE!!!!

THE RECORD 12 TIMES LEAGUE CHAMPIONS
Nkana Football Club, a team located in Kitwe Zambia is one of the most successful teams in Zambia and always pause a threat each year the season opens to other teams. Last won the league title in 2013 when the late Coach Massy Assembled a team that was aimed at collecting trophies and who could doubt that with the football displayed under his tenure. He didn’t live long to continue with that hunt for the title. Rest in Peace Coach Massy.

HIGHLIGHTS OF NKANA FC AND HONOURS
SUPER LEAGUE TITLES
The journey towards the 12 titles started in 1982, 20 years after the super league was introduced. And Nkana would grow into a big team that would win the title undisputed and become a giant of Zambian Football.
1982 the counting started and defended the title in 1983 before Power Dynamos grabbed it from them in 1984.
Nkana would only wait for a year and got it back in 1985 and again defended it in 1986. Kabwe Warriors could not allow them do three titles in a roll as the Kabwe outfit got it in 1987.
But the best period for Nkana would only wait for that year as they came back in 1988, defended it in 1989 and joined Kabwe Warriors and Mufulira Wanderers as the only team’s to have won the title three times in a roll in 1990. Power Dynamos had assembled a very good team in 1990 the year they attained a name POWER 90 and managed to wrestle league off Nkana in 1991 only to keep it for a year and hand over to Nkana in 1992 and 1993. Up to this time when Nkana won the title they were always defending it.
But after 1993,the year Zambia lost a number of Zambian players in Gabon Disaster Nkana would also not be able to defend the title in 1994 and would only wait until 1999 to win their 10th title. This was the first time Nkana would fail to defend the league but won the 11th a year after in 2001. Nkana would then struggle after their 12th title and go under and only come back to the super league in 2011 and win their 12th title in 2013 and unfortunately Masautso Mwale would be involved in a road accident and end what was to be another great run of a great club in the history of the Zambian game.
Total SUPER league titles: 12.
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OTHER HONOURS
CASTLE CUP
The Castle Cup which changed its name to Independence Cup and later in 1993 to Mosi Cup is one of the cup game that also puts Nkana on the map though they never won it in the name of Castle Cup but played one final under the name Rokhana which they lost 2-1 to Mufulira Wanderers in 1974.
Their honours in this tournament started in 1986 the year they defended the league title , they won it again in 1989, 1991 and 1992 before the change of to Mosi Cup in 1993.
Nkana were the first team to win again under the name Mosi cup in 1993 and played the final too in 1994 against Roan United and were defeated 1-0. Nkana would then wait for another final in 2000 against Green Buffaloes, the game that ended 0-0 but Nkana won it in penalty shoot outs 7-6.
Total Number of Titles: 6
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BP Top Eight Cup
This was earlier called Challenge Cup and Nkana combined with Rhokana have 7 titles and also featured in the other three finals which they lost.
They won it as Rhokana United in 1964 and 1966.
Nkana’s first final in the name of Nkana in this tournament was in 1983 and lost to Roan United 2-1. They played another final in 1986 which they lost another 2-1 this time to Mufulira Wanderers
The wins in the final are as below:
1992 Nkana 3-2 Mufulira Wanderers
1993 Nkana 3-2 Kabwe Warriors
1998 Nkana 2-1 Kabwe Warriors
1999 Nkana 4-1 Power Dynamos
2000 Nkana 6-1 Konkola Blades
Number of titles: 7
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CHAMPIONS OF CHAMPIONS
Nkana won this twice in 1986 and 1993 but played in the other two finals were they lost under the name Rhokana.
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CHARITY SHIELD
This is a tournament played between 4 teams (trophy winners of previous season and best league finishers for remaining places) and without a doubt this was Nkana’s best tournament where they have 15 titles to their name in 49 titles.
From 1983 to 1997 Nkana won it 12 times  and ca me back in 2000 to beat  Indeni 4-0 in the final.

Nkana played their last Charity Shield final in 2014 when they beat Red Arrows 3-1.
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CHIBUKU CUP AND HEROES CUP
Nkana won it three times in 1974, 1989 and 1990.

UNSUCCESSFUL TOURNAMENTS
Nkana have never won the Coca cola and Barclays Cup but have played a final in each. Losing 5-0 to Zesco United in 2007 in Coca cola final and losing 3-0 in Barclyas Cup final in 2014.
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CURRENTI FORM AFTER 2013
There is no doubt Nkana has struggled after the demise of Coach Mass and that led the team to coach transitions of Bestone Chambeshi and now Aggrey Chiyangi with constant changes of assistants and news coming through as we prepare for the kick off of the 18 team Super League.

2013 Season (First)
After 30 games Nkana won 17, drew 8 and lost 5. They scored 45 goals and allowed 25 which gave the team +20 goal difference with 59 points.
2014 Season (Fourth)
Nkana in 30 games won 15, drew 7 and lost 8 games. The team scored 50, allowed 29 which gave them a goal difference of +21 amounting to 52 points.

2015 Season (Eighth )
After 30 games Nkana won 11, drew 8, lost 11, scored 30, allowed 26 with goal difference of +4 and amounting to 41 points.
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2016 PROSPECTS
A tough season ahead and Nkana has to be at its best to wrestle the title from Zesco as Zanaco also looks to have prepared well.
I don’t think there has been a season in the recent years that clubs have prepared so strong as this time around .
Some of the players on card now are:
Aubrey chamulwanda from nchanga rangers
Jacob Ngulube from damiano accademy,
Spencer Ngalande from nico united in botswana.

The team also made permanent deals for Soutra Tshimenga and more deals to be completed soon with Kawaya Kapota almost being signed and Fwayo Tembo likely to add more experience makes Nkana a hot favourite.
There is also a big belief that this is the season finally that zesco will lose to Nkana.

MY VERDICT: Big season ahead but I think it will be interesting one. Front runners are Zesco Zanaco and Nkana for me. Nkana will have the advantage that the two will be busy with African trotting. Should Nkana take that advantage then they will just get this title.
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ALL THE BEST NKANA IN 2016 SEASON.