Lwandamina concerned with his players’ fitness levels
By the ZamFoot Crew | July 17, 2020
Zesco United head coach George Lwandamina is concerned with the fitness levels of his players ahead of the resumption of the MTN/FAZ Super League this weekend.
The Super League and the Eden University/FAZ National Division One make a return this weekend after almost four months of being on a Coronavirus induced break.
Lwandamina believes players need a coach’s guidance to get over the pain barrier. He feels personal training is not enough for the level of fitness required in Football.
“This is a new phenomenon for everyone. It is also a big challenge for any team because we have only two weeks to prepare our players for league action after being out of business for over four months. I know players where training independently but that’s not enough. A player can only do better with a coach behind him,” Lwandamina told the club’s official website.
“These players need support and monitoring to push them to get to the pain barrier. One’s body mechanism is in such a way that not until you go over the pain barrier can one compensate their energy. That is fitness required in our football unfortunately that’s not the case,” Lwandamina added.
Lwandamina does not feel the players will attain maximum fitness in the given period before the games resume tomorrow.
“It is good that we have had a break to recover. However, the battle we face today is getting these players to maximum fitness for games, which I doubt will happen. At the moment we are rushing our programs in readiness for weekend fixtures,” he said.
“I know my players have played a lot of games from the last campaign without resting which automatically leads to one’s body burning down. However, it’s not everyone who will be able to adjust, and that applies to other teams too.”
“I know some teams have camped for some time. However, it is important to recognize that we are all in the same situation. The beginning will be very crucial for everyone,” he added.
The defending Champions will return back to action on Sunday at 13:00 hrs when they host Kansanshi Dynamos at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium.
Zesco is currently fifth on the log with 42 points from 24 games and a win will take them to second place and a step closer to defending their title.