Zesco United coach Mumamba Numba has told his players to roll-up their sleeves if they want to extend their five-match unbeaten league run into the 2021 ABSA Cup.
The holder’s kickoff their ABSA Cup defence this Saturday against Division 1 side Kansanshi Dynamos in a quarterfinal doubleheader fixture at Woodlands stadium in Lusaka.
Zesco go into the last eight date on the back of a five-match winning  league run that has seen them take  command of the 2020/2021 FAZ Super Division log where they enjoy a four-point lead with thirteen matches  left.
And so the prospects of a potential double beckon in the ABSA Cup where Zesco are the record winners with sixth triumphs.
“Going five games winning is not an easy thing but we have to go into this game with a positive mind but we shouldn’t go into this game winning it before it is played,” Numba said.
“We have to work hard on the pitch before we get a result and that is what we expect from the team.”
Saturday’s fixture will also mark Numba’s Cup debut as Zesco coach following his appointment last September.
Furthermore, Zesco has not made a preliminary exit from the competition since 2009 when they lost 1-0 to Power Dynamos at the same stage and the pressure is on Numba to ensure the status quo is maintained.
But the push has been eased for Numba with the return to fitness of defender Clement Mwape and midfielder Kelvin Kampamba following brief injury spells.
Meanwhile, Kansanshi head into their debut ABSA Cup appearance led by experienced coach Beston Chambeshi who guided Nkana to their only title victory in the competition in 2018.
“It will be a good game playing Zesco with a good coach Mumamba Numba, who I know is one of the big coaches in Zambia, and the team is doing fine. They are on top of the Super League so we have to respect them and as their coach has also said they also have to respect us too,”Chambeshi said.
And in the lunchtime kickoff,  Forest  Rangers  end  their  thirteen year  hiatus  from the competition when  they play  2011  runners-up Konkola Blades.
The  quarterfinals  will  continue on Sunday with another  Woodlands doubleheader  that will see Lusaka  Dynamos  face Prison Leopards  at lunchtime and  Zanaco battling Kabwe  Warriors in the late kickoff.
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