Zanaco FC suffered a heartbreaking 2–1 home defeat to Green Eagles in a dramatic encounter played at Sunset Stadium this afternoon.
Green Eagles took the lead in the 15th minute through Derrick Bulaya, capitalising on sustained early pressure. Zanaco responded and drew level in the 43rd minute when Araina Lambert finished calmly after being set up by Mwape Mwenya, sending the teams into halftime at 1–1.
The second half was marked by tension and controversy. Green Eagles defender Aron Mushure was involved in a dramatic goal-line incident when the ball was cleared with a hand, leading the referee to award a penalty to Zanaco. The decision was heavily protested by the visitors, resulting in a stoppage of about 15 minutes.
Zanaco were eventully awarded a penalty. However, Wilson Chisala struck the crossbar from the spot, denying the hosts a late lead.
Moments later, Green Eagles made Zanaco pay for the missed chance as Bulaya completed his brace in the 89th minute to seal the win and secure all three points for the visitors.
Speaking after the match, Zanaco assistant coach Dabid Chilufya said the team had targeted the fixture as a chance to bounce back following recent defeats to Mufulira Wanderers and Chirundu United.
“We played well and created chances, but small moments decided the game,” Chilufya said. “The missed penalty affected our momentum, but these are areas we can improve as a team.”
The loss pulls down Zanaco to seventh position on the table. Zanaco will now look to regroup and work on turning positive performances into results as they prepare for their next assignment against League leaders, Power Dynamos.
