ZANACO players celebrating
Zanaco were confirmed as 2016 MTN FAZ Super League champions, winning their seventh championship and a spot in next year’s Caf Champions League, following their 1-0 victory over Lumwana Radiants in a rescheduled Week 27 match played at Sunset Stadium on Wednesday.
In this hard fought victory it was Isaac Chansa who scored the only goal of the match in the 65th minute for the Bankers to record an unassailable 75 points.
They are now the third most successful Zambian club in terms of league championships behind Nkana and Mufulira Wanderers who have twelve and nine titles respectively. Their previous titles were won in 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2009 and 2012.
The Bankers, who were unchallenged at the top of the standings since Week 15 when they displaced Nkana into second place, became certain of winning the league when they came from behind to defeat Napsa Stars 2-1 at Sunset Stadium a week ago but they needed a single point from any of their remaining three matches to confirm their title.
Their last two matches are both away from home against Mufulira Blackpool and Nkwazi on 3rd and 10th December respectively.
They will receive the trophy on Saturday, 3rd December after their Week 34 match with Mufulira Blackpool at Shinde Stadium, live on Super Sport.
Elsewhere, in a rescheduled Week 19 match, dethroned champions Zesco United closed the gap on second placed Nkana to four points following their 1-0 victory over Napsa Stars at Levy Mwanawasa Stadium.
They moved to 63 points thanks to Kondwani Mtonga’s strike on 73 minutes. Tenant Chembo’s men can finish in second place and earn a place in next year’s Caf Confederation Cup if they win their back to back home and away fixtures with Nakambala Leopards and their final match away to Lumwana Radiants.
And Power Dynamos and Kabwe Warriors will finish the season in 4th and 6th positions after they played out to a goalless draw in a rescheduled Week 32 fixture played at the Godfrey Chitalu Stadium in Kabwe.