Kenyan trio win league title in Zambia

Nkana FC players celebrate a goal during a past match.

Photo credit: Courtesy

What you need to know:

  • The Zambian Super League (ZSL) resumed last month, but FAZ was forced to recently reduce the rounds to just 27 and end the league after a rise in Covid-19 cases in some of the teams. 
  • Zesco United, home to another Kenyan trio of Jesse Were, Ian Otieno and John Mark Makwata finished fifth on the log and will miss out on next season’s Confederation of African Football (Caf) competitions. 

Kenyan trio of Harun Shakava, Duke Abuya and Duncan Otieno won the Zambian Super League title with Nkana Sunday afternoon without even kicking a ball. 

Nkana thought they had won the title earlier this week after they were awarded a walkover after Nakambala Leopards’ failure to honor an away game, but second-placed Forest Rangers won an appeal against the award of three points to Zanaco when their fixture, scheduled for July 18, did not take place.

Rangers had on the same day revealed 17 of their players tested positive for Covid-19 and the game did not go ahead, with the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) initially awarding the match as a 3-0 walkover to Zanaco, but Rangers appealed and the game was set to be played on Sunday.

Forest Rangers, however, blew up their chance to snatch away the title from Nkana as they drew 0-0 with Zanaco, effectively handing over Nkana a record 13th league crown.

The Zambian Super League (ZSL) resumed last month, but FAZ was forced to recently reduce the rounds to just 27 and end the league after a rise in Covid-19 cases in some of the teams. 

Zesco United, home to another Kenyan trio of Jesse Were, Ian Otieno and John Mark Makwata finished fifth on the log and will miss out on next season’s Confederation of African Football (Caf) competitions.