Nkhwazi promoted as City wait

By ALEX NJOVU

Profund 1 Nkhwazi 2

THE Police Doves, Nkhwazi Football Club, yesterday flew past the fog created by Profund Warriors and made a safe landing into Super Division soccer next year but City of Lusaka remained on the waiting list.
Nkhwazi who have 62 points, two better than City have become the first team to qualify to the Super Division, with three games to spare.
It was the perfect come-from-behind art-work of John Mabiza and Chrispin Manda that saw the Police outfit swoop on Profund and return to elite soccer after two years in the doldrums.
Mabiza found the back of the net in the 55th minute when he latched on a Keagan Phiri loose ball while Manda put matters beyond doubting "Thomases" when he connected a Jimmy Mumba ball into the net in the 90th minute.
At this match played at NAPSA ground in Lusaka, Profund went up in the 38th minute when John Zulu benefited from an Enock Njovu pass to score the first goal of the match
City 0 Nampundwe 1
Former international Tenant Chilumba yesterday re-emerged on the Zambian playing turf and guided Nampundwe to a hard-fought victory but it was 18-year-old goalkeeper Clarence Mwaba who stole the limelight when he made six fine saves to deny City re-entry into the Super Division, yet.
Although he has lost that burning pace and fast swerves, Chilumba, recruited as a coach-player last week, was precise in passes and commanded play with his tactical discipline of a defence play with sporadic assaults on goal.
The agile goalkeeper, Mwaba, calmed three ferocious shots from substitute Tony Mukwasa, two crackers from Kelvin Muzungu and one whirled ball from the diminutive Willie Chimpinde.
Needing only one point from this Week 27 Division One (South) game at Lusaka's Woodlands Stadium, City who slid into second place on 60 points, were subjects of the first scare when the languid Nampundwe striker Zachariah Simukonda powered high his shot from a Felix Chikamba pass on the edge of the box.
On 31 minutes, Mukwasa, the boy they call "Blair" who had come on for Cornell Daka had his first shot saved by Mwaba at point-blank range in what was the best scoring chance in the first half.
With the defacto coaches in the VIP stand shouting instructions to the players, City looked a better team in the second half but it was Numpundwe who first came close to scoring.
Former Lusaka Dynamos' player Limbi Mbewe, lurking in open space outside the box hammered the ball into the woodwork after a square pass from skipper Chikamba in the 60th minute.
Mukwasa had a chance to take City up on 70 minutes but his fire-packed release in the box from a Nephias Banda flick was sent over the bar by the acrobatic Mwaba.
Then came the goal in the 75th minute when Kunda Mushota brought down Mbewe about five metres from the penalty box and Joseph Kabwe slotted in the ensuing free-kick which beat both the human barrier and goalkeeper, Elophy Katayaya.
City tried to come back with Chimpinde and Muzungu's attempts which all came to nothing. City will have to wait for another game to win promotion.
Assembly 1 Tigers 0
National Assembly proved too good for visiting Lusaka Tigers when they beat the visitors at the National Housing Authority ground.
With only 30 minutes into the game, Assembly who were playing a cohesive game in the first half, registered their goal through striker Sleddy Hachiswenya reports CHRISTINE CHISHA.
At Nationalist Stadium, Riflemen and Prison Leopards battled to a 1-1 scoreline.
Kitwe 2 Butondo 1
In the northern region, Kitwe United increased their prospects of returning to the elite league when they thumped Butondo Western Tigers to move to 53 points and only needing a win in their next game while townmates Nkhwiza also beat DAPP United 2-1 at Kitwe Playing Fields Garden Park Stadium, reports VICTOR KUMWENDA.
Kitwe scored their goals through Felix Mangwato in the 30th minute and Happy Chola netted in the clincher three minutes before time while Nkhwiza's Paul Nkonde hit a brace, scoring in each half to ensure his team collected full points to move to sixth position on the Division One log.
Zesco 0 Forest 0
Zesco battled to a scoreless draw against Forest Rangers at Ndola's Zambia International Trade Fair ground, writes: CHARLES KATONGO.
Forest, topping the charts, wasted a lot of chances in their quest to secure confirmation to promotion to elite league next season.
Zesco, under coach Ona Janza however, refused to be intimidated by the visitors and held to their own until the final whistle blew.