The Fearless Mabanga Boys marched on with another thrilling home victory, edging Aguila Stars 2-1 in a Week 24 ZPL National League match played at Independence Stadium in Solwezi.
The win extends Kansanshi Dynamos’ unbeaten home streak to 12 matches.
The visitors were quick off the mark, breaking the deadlock in just the 8th minute when Harrison Lungu finished off a well-placed cross from Paul Katayi to give Aguila Stars an early lead.
Just eight minutes later, the pressure paid off when Simon Tembo handled the ball inside the box. While the referee initially thought the foul was outside, second assistant Jessey Mulosa signalled for a penalty—correcting the decision. Up stepped Tranquilin Mwepu, calm and composed, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way to make it 1-1!
Momentum shifted in Kansanshi’s favor, and in the 27th minute, it was Mwepu again! Showing his striker’s instinct, he pounced on a defensive lapse and slotted home a clinical close-range finish to turn the game around. 2-1 to Kansanshi! This goal took his tally to nine goals, sending him top of the scorer’s chart.
The first half could have ended with an even bigger lead. In the 36th minute, Mathews Mwale found himself in a great position but hesitated to shoot, opting to pass to Kizito Kezeron, who unfortunately was not well-placed—chance wasted! Just two minutes later, Mwale delivered a pinpoint cross to Dalitso Lungu, who misjudged his shot and sent it over the bar.
And then, a bizarre moment! Just before halftime, Mpika referee Tourist Shimabanse took a little tour of his watch and mistakenly blew for the break with two minutes still left to play! A quick reality check—thanks to protests from both teams—brought him back on track, and play resumed to complete the half.
Second Half
Aguila Stars came out fighting, pushing hard for an equalizer, forcing our defense to stand tall! With the pressure mounting, Coach Zeddy Saileti made key changes in the 64th minute, bringing on Kelvin Chisamba for Dalitso Lungu and giving a debut to Ignitius Kalunga, who replaced Rabson Mumba.
Kalunga nearly announced himself in the 70th minute, coming close with a shot that went just wide. Aguila Stars quickly responded, with Paul Katayi’s header narrowly missing the target!
Then came a heart-stopping moment in the 77th minute. A long ball took an awkward bounce, almost catching Raphael Zulu off guard. The ball was rolling dangerously close to the line, but Zulu reacted just in time, sprinting to clear the danger.
In the 85th minute, George Chisala came on for Mathews Mwale to add fresh energy as Kansanshi looked to close out the game.
Then, in the 90th minute, what a chance. Kelvin Chisamba was perfectly set up by Ignitius Kalunga, but Aguila’s goalkeeper pulled off a top-class save to deny us a third goal.
Post-Match Reaction – Saileti Praises the Fighting Spirit
After the match, Head Coach Zeddy Saileti applauded the team’s determination and defensive spirit, especially in the second half.
“They came strong in the second half and pushed us, but I am glad we held firm to secure the three points. The pressure was there, but we managed to contain it,” he said.
The Mabanga Boys now have 48 points on the log, maintaining their second position even as they set eyes on their next fixture against Chambishi FC, in Chambishi.
#TogetherWeRise
| Pos | Club | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Konkola Blades FC | 31 | 17 | 12 | 2 | 37 | 18 | 19 | 63 |
| 2 |  Kansanshi Dynamos FC | 30 | 16 | 11 | 3 | 39 | 15 | 24 | 59 |
| 3 |  Mines United FC | 31 | 16 | 8 | 7 | 33 | 27 | 6 | 56 |
| 4 |  River Plate FC | 31 | 14 | 10 | 7 | 28 | 17 | 11 | 52 |
| 5 |  Trident FC | 31 | 14 | 9 | 8 | 31 | 17 | 14 | 51 |
| 6 |  FC Leopards | 29 | 12 | 7 | 10 | 30 | 25 | 5 | 43 |
| 7 |  Jumulo FC | 31 | 9 | 13 | 9 | 22 | 22 | 0 | 40 |
| 8 |  Aguila Stars FC | 31 | 9 | 11 | 10 | 25 | 24 | 1 | 38 |
| 9 |  Kitwe United FC | 31 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 25 | 27 | -2 | 38 |
| 10 |  Mpulungu Harbour FC | 30 | 9 | 11 | 10 | 27 | 30 | -3 | 38 |
| 11 |  Chirundu United FC | 30 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 29 | 27 | 2 | 37 |
| 12 |  Chambishi FC | 30 | 7 | 15 | 8 | 23 | 23 | 0 | 36 |
| 13 |  Ndola United FC | 31 | 9 | 7 | 15 | 25 | 30 | -5 | 34 |
| 14 |  Young Green Buffaloes FC | 30 | 7 | 12 | 11 | 24 | 33 | -9 | 33 |
| 15 |  Kafue Eagles FC | 31 | 5 | 17 | 9 | 19 | 24 | -4 | 32 |
| 16 |  Kafue Celtic FC | 31 | 6 | 12 | 13 | 18 | 30 | -12 | 30 |
| 17 |  Chipata United FC | 31 | 5 | 10 | 16 | 23 | 43 | -20 | 25 |
| 18 |  Leopards Hill FC | 31 | 6 | 6 | 19 | 22 | 45 | -23 | 24 |
