David Owino watched from the stands as his team Zesco United battled to beat Mufulira Wonderers 4-2 and win the Zambian Super League at Levy Mwanawasa Stadium, Ndola on the last day of the season Saturday.
It was Zesco’s sixth overall and Owino’s second ZSL title in three seasons.
Owino aka Calabar, who was sidelined with a nagging thigh injury, looked nervously as nine times winners “Mighty” Mufulira Wonderers, who badly needed to win to survive the chop threatened to ruin their party and complicate further a tough season.
Mufulira silenced the stadium that was bubbling with Zesco supporters twice, with Guily Manziba’s brace that cancelled out John Chingandu’s first minute opener in just one minute, before handing the visitors a temporary lead in the 20th minute.
Once again in as many matches Zesco’s backline without defense stalwart Owino, who couldn’t help salvage the situation, was proving the weak link.
Owino is a gifted defender; he is a lion-hearted worrier and a leader, the kind of a player you want on the field in such pressure cooker matches to calm things down.
But on this day like in the past ten or so matches, he could only watch from the sidelines as his side shipped in easy goals.
His countryman Jesse Jackson Were, who finished as the club’s top scorer and second in the league scorers’ chat with 18 goals, was the hero – netting a brace to secure the title.
The day pretty much summed up his season and that of Zesco, “Generally the season has been full of up and downs,” the former Gor Mahia man said.
“We struggled along the way and it reached a point that no one gave us a chance, people started doubting us – forgetting the team has experience and internationals who can play under pressure and make a difference,” the Harambee Stars deputy skipper added.
Zesco acted just in time to salvage their season by letting go Serbian manager Zlatko Krmpotic who seemed to have lost his winning touch.
The management handed his assistant Tenant Chembo the reign in a move that paid off handsomely.
Owino is thrilled at the feeling of winning two league tiles in a foreign league.
“Winning the league for the second time despite all the setbacks and in a foreign land feels very nice.”
He however remains non-committal about his future in Zambia only saying he still has a contract honor.
Owino was last year voted the league’s most disciplined player after a decent run which saw them reach the African Champions League semis and finish runners up in the league.
Zesco feted him the best defender in the same year.
His teammate and fellow Kenyan Anthony Agai Akumu, who was instrumental in the Mufulira win, believes this year’s campaign was a “marathon” and that’s why it went to the wire.
Akumu says Zambia and Zesco have become his second home but adds that he would grab another better opportunity away if need be.
“Zambia and Zesco has been my second home but, again if any good and reasonable off comes the why not?”
Akumu and Jesse won their first ZSL crown.
