Sports News of Thursday, 21 February 2019
Source: Graphic.com.gh
2019-02-21
Kotoko will face Zambian giants Nkana FC on Sunday
Kumasi Asante Kotoko will face Zambian giants Nkana FC in their third Group C tie in the CAF Confederation Cup game on Sunday, February 24 at the Nkana Stadium in Kitwe.
The other Group C match between Al Hilal of Sudan and ZESCO United will also be played at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Kitwe on the same day.
The four clubs are tied on three points each making it an open group with a winner on Sunday taking huge leap to the top.
Ahead of the clashes, Graphic Sports Online puts together an interesting piece which touches on the history, achievements, coaches and statistics of Nkana FC in continental competitions. Read on.
History
Nkana FC, famously known as Nkana Red Devils, is a Zambian football club based in Kitwe that plays in the MTN/FAZ Super Division and is one of the country’s most popular teams. It is Zambia’s most successful league club with 12 titles, and second overall, winning 43 trophies, 6 behind Mufulira Wanderers.
Nkana had a long history of success during the 1980s and early 1990s, winning nine league titles from 1982. Coached by Moses Simwala, a number of prominent players ran out for Nkana during this time frame.
Nkana were demoted from the top flight for the first time in their history in 2004, and their period in the second division was plagued by financial problems.However, Nkana returned to the top flight after winning the 2007 Division One North title.
Achievements
In terms of achievement, Nkana have won the Zambia Premier League title twelve times in 1982, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1993, 1999, 2001 and 2013.
The club has also won the Zambia Cup six times, Zambia Challenge Cup seven times and the Zambia Charity Shield 11 times.
At the continental level, the Red Devils have participated in various CAF competitions since 2000, including the CAF Champions League, CAF Cup Winners’ Cup and Africa Cup of Champions Cup but they have never won a trophy despite making it to the finals a few times.
In 1990, they were runners-up in the Africa Cup of Champions making them the only Zambian team to ever reach the finals.
In 2000 when they made their first appearance at the CAF Champions League, Nkana were eliminated during the second round of the competition just as in 2002 and 2014.
In the CAF Cup Winners’ Cup, they finished as quarter finalists in 1998 and they were eliminated in the second round of the competition in 2001.
Coaches
Since its establishment, Nkana FC have worked with two foreign coaches – Congolese Guston Mutobo and English football manager Jeff Butler with the rest being Zambians.
The Zambian coaches are Jericho Shinde, Moses Simwala (1980–1993), Patrick Phiri (1997–2002), Ben Bamfuchile, Kenneth Malitoli (2007), late Masauso Mwale (2013–2014) and currently Beston Chambeshi who was reappointed in June 2017 and he has handled the team till date.
Rivalry
Matches between Nkana Fc and Power Dynamos FC are the biggest derby in Zambia also known as the Kopala Derby.
Statistics
Interestingly, Nkana FC have an unbeaten record in continental competition at home as they are yet to lose a single game at the Nkana Stadium since 1976 to date. Below are their statistics:
Nkana 4-0 Bata Bullets
Nkana 1-1 Shooting Stars
Nkana 2-2 Mbabane Highlanders
Nkana 0-0 Pan African
Nkana 4-0 Nakivubo Villa
Nkana 0-0 Al Ahly (1983 CAF Champions Cup) Nkana 5-0 LPF Maseru
Nkana 3-0 Printing Agency
Nkana 1-1 Zamalek (1984 CAF Champions Cup) Nkana 4-1 AS Sotema
Nkana 0-0 Brewery Jimma
Nkana 2-0 Accra Hearts of Oak
Nkana 1-1 Africa Sports
Nkana 1-1 Petro Atletico
Nkana 1-0 Zamalek (1987 CAF Champions Cup) Nkana 4-1 Botswana Defence Force (Champions Cup)
Nkana 5-1 Fire Brigade
Nkana 2-1 Zimbabwe Saints
Nkana 1-0 MP Oran (1989 CAF Champions Cup) Nkana 3-1 Express FC
Nkana 5-1 Arsenal (1990 CAF Champions Cup) Nkana 2-1 Racing Bafoussam
Nkana 1-0 Iwuanyanwu National
(Cup) Nkana 6-0 ASF Fianarantsoa
Nkana 4-1 Sunrise Flacq United
(Cup) Nkana 1-0 Union Douala
Nkana 4-1 Club Africaine
Nkana 7-1 Mbabane Highlanders
Nkana 2-0 Kampala City Council
Nkana 2-1 Wydad Casablanca
Nkana 1-0 AFC Leopards
Nkana 0-0 Sunrise Flacq United
Nkana 1-0 Asante Kotoko
Nkana 2-0 Costa Do Sol
Nkana 4-1 Simba (1994 CAF Champions Cup) Nkana 1-0 Zamalek (1994 CAF Champions Cup) Nkana 1-0 Rwanda FC
Nkana 2-1 Mamelodi Sundowns
Nkana 1-1 Africa Sports
Nkana 2-2 Royal Leopards
Nkana 1-0 SC Sfaxien
Nkana 3-0 US Stade Tamponnaise
Champions League) Nkana 1-1 Mamelodi Sundowns
(League) Nkana 3-0 Military Police
Nkana 2-2 Zamalek (2001 CAF Cup Winners) Nkana 4-0 Simba (2002 Caf Champions League) Nkana 1-1 Zamalek (2002 CAF Champions League) Nkana 5-2 Mbabane Swallows
Nkana 0-0 Zamalek (2014 CAF Champions League) Nkana 0-0 CA Bizertin
Nkana 1-1 Sewe Sport
Nkana 4-3 Etoile Du Sahel
Nkana 1-0 Al Ahly (2014 CAF Confederations Cup) Nkana 1-0 CR Bélouizdad
Nkana 1-0 UD Songo (2019 CAF Champions League) Nkana 2-1 Simba SC (2019 Caf Champions League) Nkana 3-0 San Pedro (2019 CAF Confederations Cup) Nkana 2-1 Al Hilal (2019 CAF Confederations Cup)
