Zesco United assistant coach Tenant Chilumba says his side anticipates a tough contest against Zimbabwean side Dynamos FC in their 1st preliminary round tie of the 2024/25 TotalEnergies Confederation of African Football (CAF) Confederation Cup.
Chilumba is familiar with Dynamos having confronted the Glamour Boys in multiple fierce battles during his time at the helm of rival club FC Platinum in Zimbabwe.
Speaking in an interview after the draw, Chilumba said his side needed to be wary of Dynamos who are a club of rich history.
“I think it is not an easy draw if you look at the team we will be playing. Dynamos from Zimbabwe is a big club so I wouldn’t say it is an easy draw. It will depend on the way we will prepare” Chilumba said.
Chilumba predicted a tough encounter between Zesco and Dynamos, a side with a reputable status in continental football having come close to winning the Champions League when they reached the final in 1998 but lost to Ivorian side ASEC Mimosas.
“Dynamos is a good team. It is an old club and I think they did well in the Champions League last time when they finished in the quarter finals,” he added.
Zesco will start the preliminary round tie away from home next month when they visit Dynamos in Harare.
Zesco will face Dynamos on the weekend of 16th to 18th August for the first leg encounter while the return leg has been set between 23rd and 25th August, 2024.
“It will be tricky playing away. We just have to go and get a positive result there then we’ll finish it up back home in Zambia,” he said.
The winner of the tie between Zesco and Dynamos will face either Forester FC of Seychelles or Orapa United of Botswana who will equally battle it out in the first round.
Meanwhile, Chilumba revealed that preparations for the upcoming Confederation Cup and the 2024/25 season overall had been progressing well with the technical bench taking the squad through rigorous training ahead of the upcoming campaign.
