A 3rd minute strike from City FC’s Saide Mwale was enough to provide the host team with all the three points in a match played at Woodlands Stadium yesterday.
NAPSA Stars FC suffered their first defeat in the Eden National Division One League in this first match played against City of Lusaka.
Muchelenganga conceded a silly goal just in the 3rd minute after a miscommunication with his defense, to see a City player Saidi Mwale capitalize on it.
Three points was paramount for the Pensioners but the team struggled to get a goal despite having a good number of chances.
It was Doisy Soko that had the first chance to equalize for NAPSA Stars in the 34th minute when his header received from Austin Banda’s free kick went slightly over the bar and touching the net.
In the 63rd minute, Austin Banda had another good chance to equalize but wasted this chance by delaying to shot with the opponent player quickly clearing his chance.
Midfielder Kapembwa Musonda who came in for Doisy Soko in the 66th minute, also wasted a good chance by delaying to shot in close range with a City defender quickly denying him of this chance.
Eric Yema was introduced in for Austin Banda in the 67th minute and Felix Banda came in for Keegan Zulu in the 60th minute to play his first competitive game for Napsa Stars FC.
Defender Luka Banda also started this game from the bench and was only introduced in the 79th minute to replace Amos Simwanza.
And as everyone expected a dramatic local derby, this one was it, with a city player being handed a red card in the 76th minute for a second foul.
Meanwhile, in a post-match interview, NAPSA Stars FC Head Coach Perry Mutapa said his lads gave City of Lusaka too much room and this costed the team the three points.
“We did not come to the party, we gifted them a silly goal which could have been easily avoided. This costed us but we have learnt from it< Coach Perry said.
The coach also added that his team did not display their usual game and that which was being displayed during friendly matches in their Preseason preparations.
NAPSA Stars will host Kitwe United FC at Woodlands Stadium this weekend for their second game of the season.