The Zambian Super League otherwise known as the MTN/FAZ Premier League is back for yet another pulsating season as teams brace for what is expected to be the most competitive Bola Yapa Zed yet.

The Premier League which is set to kick off on 12 March 2016 will see early mouth-watering fixtures in week one. In this series, we will analyse teams that are tipped to be title contenders and those expected to be relegated.

The League restructuring program which took place towards the end of the year 2015 has seen the Zambian Super League expanded from 16 to 18 teams. Four teams were promoted to the Super Division and these are Kabwe Warriors and Lusaka Tigers from Division One South, Lumwana Radiants and Mufulira Blackpool from Division One North. The expansion of the Super League means more competition in the title race, more mid-table tangles in a bid to earn places in the Barclays Cup and more nail-biting relegation battles.

Zesco United will once again be favourites to win the 2016 MTN/FAZ premier League. George Lwandamina has assembled a very strong side but whether his team will be able to cope with the demands of both league and continental football remains to be seen.

Zesco United are representing Zambia in the CAF Champions League. The Ndola based outfit beat Al Ghazala of South Sudan 3-0 on aggregate to progress to the second round of the competition where they will meet Horaya of Guniea. They have a lot of depth in their ranks with players such as Chipolopolo’s Chan goalkeeper Jacob Banda, Daut Musekwa, Kenyan International David Owino Odiambo, Ghanaian Anthony Akumu Gay, Misheck Chaila, John Chingandu and Mwape Melwa just to mention a few.

Despite losing their hit man Winston Kalengo to AC Leopards of Congo Brazzaville in the January transfer window, Zesco have enough ammunition to contend with playing in many competitions. Zega moved swiftly to replace their top goal scorer Kalengo with the acquisition of Kenyan forward Jesse Jackson Were from Tusker FC. Lwandamina also acquired Congolese goal machine Idris Illunga Mbombo on a one year loan from Kabwe Warriors. The champions can be confident with their strike force (which I will be calling the WMC partnership) of Were, Mbombo and Chama. It is no doubt the trio will deliver the desired results come the start of the Bola Yapa Zed on March 12 as Zega Mambo kick off their title defence against League debutants Lumwana Radiants at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium.

Lumwana Radiants come with a little known reputation but their promotion to the Super League was no accident as they will be the first team from North-western Province to play in the Zambian Super League. Coached by Allan Kamwanga a former defender at Mighty Mufulira Wanderers, Lumwana Radiants earned promotion to the Premier League after winning the FAZ/MTN Division One North League piping Mufulira Blackpool to top spot. They will be no pushovers as they have shown in Pre-season by beating Congolese giants Don Bosco 1-0 in a mini tournament held at Nkana stadium. Lumwana Radiants have their home ground in Lumwana, Solwezi and the club has continued to renovate its home ground to the meet the new CAF Club Licensing regulations. The little known Lumwana are already living a fairy tale and who is to say they can’t write more chapters in the Zambian football history books?