NAPSA Stars 1-0 Lumwana Radiants
Week-20.
NAPSA Stars Football Club recorded their fourth consecutive victory yesterday after beating Lumwana Radiants 1-0 in a week-20 encounter played at National Heroes Stadium.
The game started at a low pace with both teams trying to unseal the deadlock.
Keegan Zulu had a chance of opening a goal in the 5th minute when he headed onto the goal that passed Lumwana Radiants Goalkeeper Fred Silwimba, but hit the bar and bounce off the goal line which was later cleared by the defenders.
NAPSA Stars were in desperate search of the first goal that came 11 minutes later after the start of the game through a Musonda Kapembwa tapping in that he had benefited from a Luka Banda cross in to send the home team side into the lead.
Lumwana Radiants had a deadly chance that could have levelled matters through an Aubrey Funga counterattack but later slipped off the ground in the 17th minute.
Aubrey Funga curled the ball from a freekick that was shortly collected by NAPSA Stars goalkeeper Rodwell Mukwanya
Augustine Mulenga had a chance of extending the lead when he shot from long range, but his effort went slightly above the goal after 29 minutes played.
The second half of the game started with a down pour with Napsa Stars threatening to score with Musonda’s effort going slightly wide two minutes into the second half.
Moments later, the North-Western outfit where in desperate search for an equalizer in which they kept pushing.
Lumwana Radiants had a dangerous counterattack that surely was going for goal but Gift Zulu came to recover the ball in the 73rd minute after a Musonda Kabengele breakdown.
In the 85th minute, the host were presented with another chance, with Dickson Chapa’s set piece going inches away from the goal.
During a post match interview, Napsa Stars Head Coach Perry Mutapa described the win to be a tramendous success.
Mutapa said the early goal helped the team to settle and added that a narrow 1-0 win is not a comfortable scoreline for the team.
The gaffer further added that the heavy downpour affected the style of play for NAPSA Stars in the second half of the game.
Mutapa said that the team will work hard to record maximum results in their next match against Green Eagles.
Yesterday’s results in the NTN Super League saw NAPSA Stars stuck on 6th position but have moved to 30 points while Lumwana Radiants dropped in the relegation zone with 22 points.
NAPSA Stars Starting Xi
Rodwell Mukwanya, Musonda Kabengele, Luka Banda, Dickson Chapa, Gift Zulu, Jimmy Mukeya(Austine Banda 63′) Fredrick Mwimanzi, Simon Nhkata (Daniel Adoko 63′) Musonda Kapembwa (Boster Siyoma 90+2′)
