Nkana Football Club chief executive officer Mwansa Kapyanga has welcomed the visit of Congolese giants TP Mazembe, describing the club’s presence in Zambia as an important opportunity to strengthen football relationships on the continent.
Kapyanga was speaking after Nkana hosted TP Mazembe in a closed-door pre-season friendly, which ended in a 3-1 victory for the visitors. He said Nkana was delighted to welcome a club of Mazembe’s stature and viewed the encounter as an important learning opportunity for both the players and technical bench.
“Firstly, it’s always a pleasure to host successful teams and TP Mazembe is one of those big teams on the continent and of course recognised world over. So we are happy to have them around,” Kapyanga said.
Kapyanga said the friendly provided valuable exposure for Nkana’s players while also allowing the technical team to identify areas where the squad can improve.
“We are happy that we were able to have this practice match which has given us a lot of exposure to our players and also to our technical bench because then we get to learn and to see where we can improve,” he added.
He also wished TP Mazembe well in their upcoming CAF Champions League campaign and expressed hope that the relationship between the two clubs can develop further.
“I think we need to continue with such partnerships which the head of delegation Eric Nonga and everyone around him want to promote football on the African continent,” Kapyanga said.
TP Mazembe are currently in Zambia as part of their pre-season programme and are scheduled to face Ghana Premier League champions Medeama SC in a two-legged encounter, with the first match set for 5 September and the return leg on 12 September.
Kapyanga thanked TP Mazembe’s delegation for the visit and the opportunity to share the pitch with one of Africa’s most recognised clubs.
