The estimated reading time for this post is 188 seconds
Nkana has only come to life when it looks too late to grind the axe and i have all along been wondering why now?
Kalampa as well known has been the most dramatic team of the year and a team that must not be in this position if they had played their cards well right from the start.
Why didn’t Chambeshi work on his defence earlier? Perhaps soon after exiting the continental games because it is in continental engagements when the cracks in Nkana’s defence were exposed.
The defence was the weakest department at the beginning of the league and i wonder why Chambeshi took so long to repair it. They kept shipping in goals like a bitch in winter and the reason was obvious.
They had players who never had the caliber to play for Zambia’s most decorated side. Chambeshi kept using players like John Mwangeni who hitherto remains Nkana’s most annoying liability in defence ever.
On the right flank, the services of Joseph Musonda looked welcome and solid till Nkana rested him for some younger and quicker blood and we now know where the problem was.
The moment the United Nations peace keeping forces were deployed at Chilata, Nkana bullied their way into second position and now challenging for the gizzard with the stubbornness of a donkey.
But why now?
Why did Walter Bwalya keep playing in the midfield when we all know he is the most vernomous striker in the league?
The handsome assassin is by far more prolific and accurate at goal than Idriss Mbombo and Sate Sate but Chambeshi kept playing him behind the high line.
The presence of Mbombo and Festus Mbewe in the box Kept displacing Walter away from where he is most deadly. Yes Mbombo has scored 19 but this is a player who will need five chances to score one. For walter, he rarely misses a short taken at goal. Where Mbombo has scored 19, Walter would have reached thirty in that position.
Walter has the balance and flexibility of a wild cat. His turning and shooting prowess in the box would have kept Nkana on the move even at a time the defence was wrecked but Chambeshi kept playing him in some unfamiliar position.
To make most of what Walter can offer, plant him in the box and Chambeshi knew this all along but why?
In 2016 when Walter Bwalya played as a first striker for Nkana, the position Mbombo and Festus Mbewe have been playing this season. Walter Scored a staggering 24 goals. In the last two matches where Walter has been playing in the box, you know what he has been doing.
If Nkana is to keep the dream alive, Walter needs to stay in the box tomorrow, let Mbombo play behind him, hustling, pulling and punching his way past the red arrows defence and Walter will keep finishing with surgical precision.
There must be no chance to worst for Nkana now and only Walter can be trusted enough to carry that responsibility.
In the pic is Walter receiving the match ball after scoring a hattrick against ZANACO last year.
