Mazembe trample Nkana in test match

In a closed-door pre-season friendly, Nkana FC on Tuesday welcomed continental heavyweights TP Mazembe of DR Congo as they suffered a 3-1 defeat at home in Wusakile. Yet for Coach Elijah Tana and the 13-time Zambian champions, the scoreline at Nkana Stadium told only half the…

In a closed-door pre-season friendly, Nkana FC on Tuesday welcomed continental heavyweights TP Mazembe of DR Congo as they suffered a 3-1 defeat at home in Wusakile.

Yet for Coach Elijah Tana and the 13-time Zambian champions, the scoreline at Nkana Stadium told only half the story.

According to Tana, the friendly match was not about winning. This was about measuring.

Mazembe are no ordinary opponents. Five-time CAF Champions League winners.

The standard-bearers of Central African football. For a Nkana side rebuilding ahead of the 2026 MTN Super League Transition Season, this was exactly the kind of test Tana asked for.

“We wanted high-level opposition,” a member of the technical bench told this magazine after the game. “You learn more in 90 minutes against Mazembe than in three games against local sides.”

Kalampa came out with purpose. The frontline pressed high, and early on Lazarous Kambole beat the offside trap and forced Mazembe’s defence into a scramble inside the box. For 43 minutes, Nkana looked the more energetic side.

In the 44th minute, just before halftime, Dante Joël Molindo Mbala found space and broke the deadlock. 1-0 to Mazembe at the break.

If the first goal was a warning, the next two were a masterclass.

4Barely a minute after restart, Bingi Belo struck to make it 2-0 before Gideon Mwanza added a third with a composed finish. 3-0.

With 21 minutes left, Kalampa got a lifeline when Charles Zulu stepped up and converted from the penalty spot.

With Nkana pushing, Kambole, tireless as ever, almost pulled a second in the 78th minute but was denied by a superb save from Mazembe keeper Aliou Faty.

Meanwhile, Nkana’s defeat comes as Zambian football prepares for a unique 2026 Transition Season – a bridge campaign designed to realign the league calendar.