Charity shield: A historic perspective as Nkana, Indeni square off
The Samuel ‘Zoom’ Ndhlovu Charity Shield is an inaugural match, it marks the beginning of the new Zambian football calendar. Two participants are always scheduled to face off each other with one being the winner of the FAZ super league and the other picked as the winner of the ABSA cup, all for the previous season with proceeds of the match donated to charity, It was held in 1967.
It is named the Samuel Zoom Ndhlovu charity shield ( since 2003) to commemorate the football achievements of the late great Zambian footballer and coach, Samuel Ndhlovu. He was born on 27th September 1937 on the Copperbelt in the small mining town of luanshya and died on 10th October 2001. He plied his trade at Mufulira Wanderers FC for almost two decades winning 5 Zambian league titles with the team and made his international appearance for the nation under Northern Rhodesia in 1956 and went on to captain the national team between 1965 and 1967 winning 3 honors with the national team which is Rothermans international trophy, Heroes cup, and Uganda independence cup.
He was first appointed Zambia national team coach in 1967 for the game against Kenya, at the age of 30 making him the youngest coach to take charge of the Zambia national team going on to win the match.
He guided Zambia to the Seoul Olympics games in South Korea in 1988 where they were paired in the same group with Italy, Venezuela, and Iraq. He defied the odds by making Zambia emerge group leaders by giving Italy and Venezuela 4-0 beating only to be given the same scoreline by West Germany in the quarter-finals. He is widely regarded as the best coach Zambia has ever produced.
This year’s charity shield will see 13-time FAZ super league champions who are also the defending champions, Nkana FC go up against champions of the FAZ/Eden University national division one, Indeni FC.
Indeni FC was picked because the 2019/2020 ABSA cup was not played due to the covid-19 pandemic, giving FAZ authority to extend it to winners of the second-tier league champions as it is traditional for it to be played by champions unless in an event were super league champions also win ABSA cup then the runners-up of the league provide the opposition.
Zambia’s most popular club Nkana also called likulu is the second most successful club with 44 trophies and is based in Wusakile, Kitwe. They have won a record 17 charity shield and are fondly called the charity shield landlord due to an impressive trophy haul. They last won the charity shield in the 2019 season defeating zesco on penalty shoot-out 5-4 after coming out as runners up for the 2018 FAZ super league on 76 points 4 points behind champions Zesco united whom they beat.
Indeni FC is a Ndola based outfit sponsored by Indeni oil refinery management hence the nickname team oil. They last played in FAZ super league 7 years ago before being relegated to the second-tier league and after a long wait, they have bounced back to the super league with the former Zambian international Dabid Chilufya at their helm who has vast experience having served as zanaco assistant coach under Mumba Numamba.
With a distance of 62KM separating the two, Indeni will make a short trip to Kitwe to lock horns for the charity shield and fight for bragging rights with the battle being staged at Arthur Davies Stadium a neutral venue within the city of kitwe the home of power dynamos, Nkana’s other rivals, and neighbors.
With the tempers so high and grudges at stake, the encounter promises to be a mouth-watering one. Having last met in 2000 Charity shield were Nkana suffocated Indeni with a 4-0 beating which happens to be the heaviest defeat in the history of the competition. Indeni fresh from being crowned champions of the Big Six Tournament beating Zanaco, Green Eagles, Green Buffaloes, Forest Rangers, and Napsa stars to the trophy will hope to build on this performance and silence Nkana to revenge for the painful defeat of 2000 and on the other hand, Nkana fresh from signing new kit deal with south African kit manufacturer Umbro accompanied with assurance from their main sponsors Mopani copper mine with continued sponsorships to the team look motivated to re-pay back the faith sponsors have shown in them.
Nkana will be hoping to add a 45th trophy to their cabinet to move just 4 trophies behind all-time Zambian trophy holders Maite Mufulira Wanderers with Indeni hoping to win their first major trophy since the inception of the club.
It will be a game where dignity will come to the test against humility. The game will be beamed live on the paid supersport channel on DSTV with the league opener slated for kick off on 31 October.
Nkana Starting XI: Kelvin Malunga, Gift Zulu, Liason Thole, Richard Ocran, Harun Shakava, Stephen Chulu, Ramadhan Singano, Duke Abuya, Patrick Gondwe, Idriss Ilunga Mbombo, Fred Tshimenga.
Bench: Moses Mapulanga, Oliver Lumbiya, Chrispine Mulenga, Martin Dzillah, Isaac Amoah, Ackim Mumba.
Indeni Starting XI: Charles Lawu, Cephas Handavu, Cedric Hyde, Clovis Tsinguia, Aaron Katebe, Kadjidi Otodjibaye, Simon Mwenya, Clement Mulenga, Graven Chitalu, Heritier Nkoko, Roland Nganle
Bench :