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LUSAKA. — The Zambia Super League will resume on July 18 with a meeting between leaders Forest Rangers and Zanaco at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium, ending four months on inactivity due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The fixture is part of a double-header at the venue that will also see a second-tier contest between Kitwe United and Police College, as Zambia welcomes back their top two divisions to complete the 2019-20 campaign.
The same venue will be used the following day for two more top-flight matches, with defending champions Zesco United taking on relegation-threatened Kansanshi Dynamos, and Buildcon up against Power Dynamos.
The Football Association of Zambia have been hard at work to get football back on in the country and the return has been carefully planned.
The first two weeks of the resumption will be used to clear the backlog of catch-up matches caused by teams’ participation in CAF club competitions, but by August 1 all sides will be back in action.
It means a heavy early schedule for Zanaco, who have played 21 matches so far, while many others in the Super League are on 25 already.
There are 34 rounds of the Zambia Super League and it is set for a thrilling finish. Forest Rangers lead the league with 46 points from their 24 games, followed by NAPSA Stars (45 from 25), Green Eagles (44 from 24), Nkana (43 from 24), Zesco United (42 from 24) and Lusaka Dynamos (40 from 25).
All matches will be played behind closed doors, but selected games will be live on SuperSport.
FAZ revealed in May they had advised the Confederation of African Football they intend to resume their domestic football season, subject to approval by health authorities in the country.
CAF had set May as the month by when countries should confirm whether they will continue or stop their domestic seasons suspended to curb the spread of the Covid-19.
FAZ president Andrew Kamanga told BBC Africa the best way forward was to complete the league.
“We want the champion to come out of the pitch, rather than a boardroom decision,” he said.
“We are mindful of the corona challenge — we would not want to compromise the lives of footballers, officials or other people involved in the game. Ultimately the overriding point is there is no life worth loosing on account of football.”
The Zambia Super League was suspended on 20 March, as a precaution in curbing the spread of the deadly virus.
A number of African countries ended their leagues prematurely due to Covid-19. — Cosafa/BBC.
Online Reporter