Kansanshi Dynamos are ready to begin their 2026 ZPL Transitional League campaign when they face newly promoted Makeni All Stars at Reiz Arena in Lusaka on Sunday.
The Fearless Mabanga Boys travelled from Solwezi on Friday ahead of the opening fixture, with Head Coach Denis Makinka saying the team is excited to finally get the campaign underway after weeks of preparation.
Kansanshi head into the Transitional League looking to build on their performance in the 2025/26 MTN Super League, where they finished 11th with 43 points from 34 matches, recording 10 wins, 13 draws and 11 defeats. The team scored 28 goals and conceded 26.
The shortened Transitional League now presents another opportunity for Kansanshi to push higher, with the team competing in Stream A and aiming to secure a place in the Championship Match.
The campaign also marks a new chapter under Makinka, who was appointed Head Coach in August on a contract running until December 2027.
Kansanshi go into the competition with a refreshed 30-man squad, retaining 26 players from last season while adding four new faces, Christopher Muhango, Mathews Tolopa, Joseph Ssemujju and Musonda Kapembwa.
With each team in the stream playing 18 matches, every point will be important as Kansanshi begin their campaign against Makeni All Stars.
For Makinka, the wait is now over.
“I think the time that we’ve been waiting for has finally arrived. We are ready. We are excited for the league to start,” he said.
“Doing what you love doing is always interesting. We are so anxious and can’t wait for tomorrow.”
A TRICKY AWAY OPENER
The opening assignment will come against Makeni All Stars, who earned promotion after winning the National Division One League.
Makinka expects a difficult encounter against a side that will be eager to make its mark at the highest level.
“Makeni are still fired up after having won the National Division League, which is a very difficult league,” Makinka said.
Despite playing away from home, the Kansanshi coach believes his team must remain proactive rather than allow the occasion or opposition to dictate the game.
Asked about the approach he expects from his team, Makinka was clear.
“Obviously, it’s attack all the way. We are away from home. We don’t want to sit back because when you sit back, you invite pressure. So we want to attack and attack.”
The coach also believes Kansanshi Dynamos have enough knowledge of their opponents to prepare for the challenge.
“We have a little knowledge about them. Of course, we know how they play. A few players and their coaches are familiar faces,” he said.
“I think we know how to approach the game and we’ll see how it goes.”
NO TIME TO SLOW DOWN
With the Transitional League played over a much shorter period than a normal league season, Makinka says his players understand that they cannot afford a slow start.
For the Kansanshi coach, the message to his players has therefore been simple: start fast.
“You know this is a short sprint, so you need to start from the first whistle. You sprint because the distance is short. You need to make the fastest sprint that you can ever make.”
Makinka says the team cannot afford to rely on the idea of recovering later in the campaign.
“We plan to start on a very high [level] because there’s no time for recovery. There’s nothing like maybe after five games we will recover.”
“If five games are gone, it means we are ending with 11 games. So there will be no time to recover. We will start on a high.”
SQUAD FITNESS AND INJURY UPDATE
On the squad’s fitness ahead of Sunday’s opener, Makinka reported no major injury concerns, although several players have picked up minor knocks.
“Not really. We have a few knocks, but by tomorrow morning, the doctors will be able to update us,” he said.
He also confirmed the return of Kapumbu, who rejoined the squad following the burial of his relative.
“Kapumbu is back. After the burial on Wednesday he joined the team, so we are with him,” Makinka said.
The final medical assessment will determine the availability of players ahead of the match.
Sunday’s fixture will see Kansanshi Dynamos take their first step into the 2026 Transitional League, with the team looking to turn its preseason preparations into a positive start at Reiz Arena.
