Caf Champions League | Zesco United vs Yanga 2-1 | Goals & Highlights (28.09.2019)

Caf Champions League | Zesco United vs Yanga 2-1 | Goals & Highlights (28.09.2019). Zesco sweat past Yanga into group stage.


Zesco United on Saturday produced a workmanlike performance at home to qualify to the group stage of the Total CAF Champions League following a 2-1 final leg home win over ten-man Young Africans of Tanzania at Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola.

An own-goal and late send-off characterized a tense match in Zambia to see Zesco advance 3-2 on aggregate after drawing 1-1 away in the first leg in Dar-es- Salaam on September 14.

“As anticipated, it was not an easy game they are good travellers and that is what they exhibited in the game today but it is good that we managed to win of course with a lot of hard work,” Zesco coach George Lwandamina said.

Zesco took the lead out of the blues in the 24th when striker Jesse Were squeezed between two defenders when he headed-in a chip from Wiston Kalengo after a period neither side looked likely to score.

But it took just six minutes for Young Africans to equalize after Zesco goalkeeper Jacob Banda parried the ball into Sadney Urikhob's path who was lurking unmarked on the far post to blast in the ball on the rebound.

The second half was all Zesco's with Kalengo's 51st minute bicycle kick parried by Yanga goalkeeper Borniphace Mnata and seven minute later the veteran striker hoofed assist from Were high and over.

Salvation for Zesco came in the 78th minute when Abdul Aziz Makame turned Quadri Kola's cross on into his own net that squeezed between him and the near post to drain the visitors energy.

Ten minutes later, Yanga’s woes continued when defender Lamine Moro received his second yellow of the match after a foul on Kalengo after he was initially yellow carded in the 38th minute.

Yanga are relegated to the TOTAL CAF Confederation Cup where they have a second chance in next month’s pre-group stage.

“We cannot force things, we have failed our objective we have to go back strategize on the league and the Confederations Cup,” Young Africans assistant coach Noel Mwandila said

Zesco on the other hand, head into an unprecedented sixth successive continental league round campaign for a Zambian club.

This will be Zesco’s fourth group stage appearance in the CAF Champions League in total.