WE ARE NOT SCARED OF NKANA – HACHIPUKA

Newly promoted Trident Football Club head coach Kebby Hachipuka says his side is not intimidated by Nkana as they return to the MTN Super League.

Trident will begin their Stream A campaign at home against the Kitwe giants this afternoon, with Hachipuka insisting his players have the courage to compete for maximum points.

Hachipuka said the team had benefited from a 10-day pre-season tour in Lusaka, followed by a further period of preparation and friendly matches on the Copperbelt.

He said the preparations had given the players confidence ahead of their return to top-flight football.

“Football is one. What is important is courage. We have recycled them and they have shown during some friendly games that they can do it,” Hachipuka said.

He acknowledged Nkana’s stature in Zambian football but said Trident would approach the encounter with respect rather than fear.

“It is a tough one. I know Nkana is one of the biggest teams in Zambia. But we are not scared of them. We can only give them respect but we cannot be intimidated,” he said.

Hachipuka said Trident would be aiming to make a strong statement in their first home match in the Super League.

“They should expect a good game. At the same time, they should expect a victory. Playing at home for the first time in the Super Division, I think we really need to give them maximum points,” he said.

Meanwhile, Nkana head Elijah Tana coach said his team had prepared well for the opening fixture and would not underestimate the newly promoted side.

He said the players had continued to work hard following their pre-season camp in Botswana.

“The preparations went well. Since we came from Botswana, the boys are putting 100 percent to us as technical,” he said.

The Nkana coach acknowledged that playing away against a newly promoted side would not be straightforward but said the team had developed a plan for the encounter.

“I know it’s not an easy game. But for us, we’ve already planned for it. So we go with our plan,” he said.

The coach said Nkana were targeting a positive start to the transitional league, while warning his players against underestimating Trident.

“We want to start with a positive result. As you can see, Nkana is a big team, so we can’t underrate the newly promoted side, Trident,” he said.

He further challenged his players to give their all in pursuit of the three points and urged Nkana supporters to back the team throughout the campaign.

“Our fans should come and cheer us. They should have that belief in us. We can do our best when they are behind us,” he said.