Timu ya Ziko got the needed morale from the season curtain-raiser before beginning their league title defence
Kenya international Jesse Were scored a brace as Zesco United defeated Lusaka Dynamos 4-0 to lift the Charity Shield Cup at the MTN Woodlands Stadium in Lusaka on Saturday.
Were scored both goals in the first half, as the other two were scored by Mukuka Chanda and Edward Lungu.
The Kenyan star scored the opener for the Zambian Super League champions in the third minute after he connected to a cross delivered by Samson Mkandawire.
Zesco would have easily added the second goal in the seventh minute, but Chitiya Mususu was flagged for offside after he was put through on goal by Were.
Lusaka Dynamos’ Collins Sikombe came close to restoring parity, but his effort hit the crossbar in the eighth minute. Emmanuel Chabula also had a chance to score for Lusaka Dynamos in the 10th minute, but Zesco United’s Adrian Chama reacted quickly to block his goal-bound shot.
After being pinned down in their own half for a few minutes, Zesco United reasserted themselves and came close to adding the second one when Mkandawire fired a powerful shot in the 14th minute, but the effort, from a promising position, ended up going over the bar.
Chipyoka Songa wasted Lusaka Dynamos’ open chance in the 17th minute as he fired wide after the Super League side managed a good run that Zesco United found hard to stop.
In the 20th minute, Logic Ching’andu’s effort hit the crossbar after he was put through on goal by Mkandawire.
In the 26th minute, another of Chabula’s powerful efforts for Lusaka Dynamos went wide as they fought to get the scoreline level before the half-hour mark.
Harambee Stars goalkeeper Ian Otieno did well to stop Gaboniso Mangenge’s shot from close range to keep the score in favour of backpedalling Timu ya Ziko in the 34th minute.
After being stopped from scoring the second goal for Zesco United in the 38th minute, Chanda found the back of the net a minute later to extend their lead.
In the 44th minute, Were, the club’s all-time scorer, scored his brace to ensure Zesco United took the half-time break with a 3-0 lead.
Ching’andu, who assisted Were to score his second goal, was unfortunate not to find the back of the net with his 48th-minute header as his effort flew slightly over the bar.
A hard-fighting Lusaka Dynamos did not lose hope despite conceding two quick late first-half goals, and their spirited fight almost gave them a goal in the 60th minute, but Godfrey Binga’s shot went wide.
Binga was then unable to beat Otieno in a one-on-one situation a minute after the hour mark.
Zesco United added the fourth goal in the 88th minute when Lungu, who had replaced Tafadzwa Rusike in the 79th minute, scored his debut goal for the Ndola club.