admin
Tadious Manyepo-Sports Reporter
WARRIORS defender, Takudzwa Chimwemwe, says his good form will be irrelevant if his Zambian club, Nkana, are demoted from the country’s top-flight league.
The Kitwe giants, who are Zambia’s most supported football club, who were crowned champions last season now face the possibility of relegation.
There is just one round of fixtures remaining in the league campaign.
They are on 41 points, the same as fifth-from-bottom Indeni, but they have an inferior goal difference.
Nkana, who have won 13 league titles, will need to beat relegated Napsa by at least six goals in the event Indeni come out victorious, against Kabwe Warriors, to avoid the chop.
“I know I have been receiving rave reviews, with a couple of man-of-the-match accolades, in recent matches,” he said.
”But, all that will count for nothing, if we fail to save the team from the axe.
“Nkana is a big club, with a huge fan-base, the fans are even (sending players messages) pleading for a shift and you know that means a lot. I have scored some good goals, some of them which have won the team games, and I have also weighed in with some assists.
“But, as long as we fail to survive, I won’t remember that. I actually take this situation, we find ourselves in, as an opportunity to write a piece of history, as the players who saved Nkana from relegation.
“It is an uphill task that we are facing, but here we are. We have to face it and conquer.”
But, in reality, Beston Chambeshi’s Nkana have all their faith invested in Kabwe beating Indeni, and then challenge themselves to outfox Napsa.
“It’s a tricky one, what we have control over is our game, against Indeni,” said Chimwemwe.
“We have to go all out in attack, and score as many goals, as we can.
“Napsa are not a walkover either, despite them having already met their fate, last weekend. They are actually the trickiest opponent we could face at this stage. They have been relegated, but you know they will try to go down with their tails up.
“And, of course, you can only hope that the other result goes your way, but what we can control is our 90 minutes versus Napsa.”
Four other Warriors players, are also on the books of Nkana.
If the club are relegated, it will mark the first time, for a club outside this country, with as many Zimbabweans on their books, being relegated.
Warriors goalkeeper Talbert Shumba, defenders Jimmy Dzingai and Kelvin Moyo and midfielder Tichaona Chipunza are all at Nkana.
They have already found themselves in the record books for the wrong reasons, as the first cast of Nkana players to lose a continental inter-club tie, on home soil.
It followed a 0-1 defeat to Egypt’s Pyramids in a CAF Confederation Cup in April.
Until then, the club, who have won over 51 trophies in their history, had not lost a continental inter-club match at home, since their formation in 1935.
Online Reporter