The second edition of the FQM Challenge delivered another exciting day of football as Kansanshi Dynamos and Trident FC renewed their growing North-Western rivalry, with the men’s trophy eventually finding its way back to Kansanshi.
What started last year as an opportunity to bring together two clubs connected through the FQM family has quickly become a special occasion on the North-Western football calendar. This year’s edition once again brought together the Kansanshi and Trident communities, their players, supporters and stakeholders for a day built around football, competition and, of course, bragging rights.
And there was plenty to play for.
The day began with the women’s encounter, where Kansanshi Queens gave a spirited performance but Trident Queens came ready for the occasion, eventually edging the contest 3–2 in an entertaining five-goal thriller.
With the women’s title heading back to Trident, attention then turned to the men’s FQM Challenge Cup, where Kansanshi Dynamos were determined to make sure the bragging rights remained in Solwezi.
The fans turned up to support the occasion and their teams. While the stadium was not filled to capacity, there was a noticeable atmosphere as supporters gathered to witness another chapter of the Kansanshi Dynamos–Trident rivalry.
On the pitch, Kansanshi Dynamos showed their intentions early.
In the 13th minute, Willy Bokingo connected with a pinpoint cross and fired towards goal, but Trident goalkeeper Haveson Chingambo reacted brilliantly to keep the effort out.
Kansanshi continued to search for the breakthrough, with Madinga seeing his effort blocked in the 24th minute before Tolopa came close from a set piece in the 37th minute. His strike was turned behind by Chingambo for a corner.
The pressure continued to build.
From the resulting attacks, Kansanshi came agonisingly close again in the 43rd minute when Bakodila connected with a corner and rattled the woodwork, leaving the two sides level heading into the break.
The second half brought changes as Kansanshi continued to look for the goal that would separate the two teams.
Then came the moment.
In the 64th minute, Clinton Lubula made no mistake from inside the box, producing a ruthless finish to send Kansanshi Dynamos into the lead and spark celebrations among the home supporters.
It proved to be the decisive moment of the match.
Trident continued to fight, but Kansanshi held firm to protect their advantage and see out a hard-fought 1–0 victory.
Kansanshi Dynamos 1–0 Trident FC.
For head coach Dennis Makinka, the victory was an encouraging sign of the progress his side has made, particularly considering the team has only spent around two weeks working on its new tactical approach.
“First of all, I want to commend the boys. For the short time that we’ve been working on our tactics, I think we’ve only worked on them for about two weeks. There were a lot of positives,” Makinka said.
The coach was pleased with the movement, rotations and pressing displayed by his side, particularly in midfield, where he felt Kansanshi controlled crucial periods of the game.
“I thought we controlled the game in crucial areas, midfield especially in the first half. We did very well. The pressing was there, the counter-pressing whenever we lost the ball. We didn’t give them time and space to have the ball.”
Makinka also praised the team’s ability to create chances and the growing understanding among both the new and existing players.
“You get worried when you don’t create chances, but the chance creation was there. We missed a lot of chances, but I’m happy because we were able to create. The boys are understanding each other very well.”
While pleased with the victory, Makinka believes there is still work to be done before the league campaign begins.
“We still have enough room to improve. It’s a blessing that the league is starting in October. We still need to do more and play some more friendlies so that we can polish.”
The second edition of the FQM Challenge may have once again been about competition and rivalry once the whistle blew, but the event also highlighted the power of football to bring people together.
From the supporters who made their way to the stadium to the players representing their communities, the day delivered another memorable chapter in a competition that is quickly establishing itself as a special football occasion in North-Western Province.
Trident Queens took the women’s honours after their 3–2 victory, while Clinton Lubula’s decisive strike ensured the men’s FQM Challenge Cup belonged to Kansanshi Dynamos.
Two matches.
Two trophies.
One exciting day of football.
And for Kansanshi Dynamos, the men’s bragging rights are finally back home.
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