Mazembe trample Nkana in test match

“We wanted high-level opposition,” a member of the technical bench told this magazine after the game. “You learn more in 90 minutes against Mazembe than in three games against local sides.”

Kalampa came out with purpose. The frontline pressed high, and early on Lazarous Kambole beat the offside trap and forced Mazembe’s defence into a scramble inside the box. For 43 minutes, Nkana looked the more energetic side.

In the 44th minute, just before halftime, Dante Joël Molindo Mbala found space and broke the deadlock. 1-0 to Mazembe at the break.

If the first goal was a warning, the next two were a masterclass.

4Barely a minute after restart, Bingi Belo struck to make it 2-0 before Gideon Mwanza added a third with a composed finish. 3-0.

With 21 minutes left, Kalampa got a lifeline when Charles Zulu stepped up and converted from the penalty spot.

With Nkana pushing, Kambole, tireless as ever, almost pulled a second in the 78th minute but was denied by a superb save from Mazembe keeper Aliou Faty.

Meanwhile, Nkana’s defeat comes as Zambian football prepares for a unique 2026 Transition Season – a bridge campaign designed to realign the league calendar.