The pensioners will be out to play their first game of the Eden National Division One League this afternoon when they visit City of Lusaka at Woodlands Stadium.
This is a moment no NAPSA Stars FC fan anticipated for the team especially after having a great 2020/2021 season that saw the team participate in Continental football for the first time, and managed to reach Group stage in their CAF Confed competition.
But the die has cast and all the team has to do now is work hard to restore confidence in sponsors, fans and well wishers by having a great season in National Division One and quickly bouncing back to the Super League were the team belongs.
Coach Perry Mutapa, drilling the team for the first time, is full of high hopes and has had a lot of work to ensure the lads are fit physically, tactically and mentally during this transitional period.
The gaffer has urged his boys to win today’s game saying this will be a start of a great season for the Pensioners.
It’s a well-known fact that Mutapa enjoys working with a youthful side, and this is more reason why the coach has made very few changes to his team, adding some players from our developmental team Young NAPSA.
“We have maintained the team and only added a few boys from the junior team. We have advised the boys to win tomorrow’s game because the first game is very important,” Mutapa said.
NAPSA will this season be without the services of Dickson Chapa and Jacob Ngulube who have joined Zesco United and Nkana FC on loan and permanent basis respectively.
The team has added three boys from the junior team in Thomas Banda, Kondwani Banda and Rodwell Mukwanya.
And taking about today’s opponents, coach Perry has said he expects a tough match, but has advised his boys to fight hard and collect maximum points.
“It’s a new league, new fixture and we have a big task to go back to the super league, we have asked the players to win the first game and I know it’s going to be a tough game being the first game, but we have to fight hard,” Coach Perry adds.
The last time the two teams met was in 2017 with NAPSA Stars dominating both halves of the season winning 5-2 and 3-0 in the first and second half of the season respectively.
The two teams meet again today at Woodlands stadium this afternoon for their first game of the Eden National Division One Season.
City has been in Eden National Division One League for the past two seasons while NAPSA Stars just joined the league after being demoted from the Super League.