Kansanshi Dynamos vs Green Buffaloes – ABSA Cup Round of 16
Kansanshi Dynamos Football Club are set to face Super League side Green Buffaloes FC in the ABSA Cup Round of 16 match scheduled for tomorrow, April 5, 2025, at Kabwe’s Railway Stadium.
Head Coach Zeddy Saileti has travelled to Kabwe with a strong 22-member squad ahead of the match, which is set for a 12:30 kick-off.
This will mark Kansanshi Dynamos’ second participation in the ABSA Cup, having first featured in the 2020/21 season, also qualifying from the National League under then-head coach Beaton Chambeshi. That campaign ended in the quarterfinals, where they lost to ZESCO United on post-match penalties (4-5) following a 1-1 draw in regulation time.
Ahead of this highly anticipated encounter, Coach Zeddy Saileti shared his thoughts in a pre-match interview with Kansanshi FC Media.
Here’s every word from the coach:
Q: What does this qualification mean to you as a coach?
It’s very important for me as a coach, it’s also a big thing for both the club and the players. They’re motivated and happy, and we want them to enjoy ABSA.
Q: Kansanshi got eliminated just in the first round in their first participation. What will you be doing differently this time around?
It’s a competition, it’s only one game but we’re also anxious. We want to win this game, to play to win, because we are playing to win.
Q: Playing a Super League team—any pressure?
Yes, pressure is part of the game. But we’ve played Super League teams before. Last season Kansanshi was in the Super League. We are equal to the task with the quality we have. Mentally, we’ve told the boys to be strong, play their own game, and enjoy. This is a cup game and anything can happen.
Q: Two weekends without an active league game. You played a friendly with Mighty Mufulira Wanderers—how did that prepare you for this match?
This is a competition and we’re almost ending the league. The fitness levels are still high, so missing one or two games cannot really affect the team because we have done well in preseason. Fitness is okay, injury levels are also okay, and I think the team is very fit.
Q: Second on the log and pushing for promotion, and now with the ABSA Cup—how are you balancing the two?
ABSA is one game, but we’ve told the boys our main objective is to win promotion, push to win the championship, so we need to concentrate on the league also. We are also concerned about the cup, but we will still stick to our main objective.
Q: What kind of performance will you be expecting from the boys?
I expect a high performance because I have confidence in my boys. The way they’ve gelled in and how coordination and fitness levels are, I think we will be ready for the game.
Q: Kabwe’s Railway Stadium as a neutral venue? We’ve played against Mines United there. We’re familiar with the pitch, so we just have to enjoy our game
