Kansanshi Dynamos Football Club has kicked off their 2025/26 curtain raiser on a tough note despite a spirited performance in their first-ever Carling Black Label Charity Shield appearance, falling 1-0 to Konkola Blades this afternoon at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola.
The Fearless Boys, who earned their place in the competition after finishing second in the National League last season, showed early intent with promising chances but were unable to make them count.
Garry Mwelwa looked lively early on, testing the Konkola goalkeeper in the 16th minute with a shot that forced a save and earned a corner, which unfortunately wasn’t converted.
In the 22nd minute, Garry once again made an impact, threading a well-weighted pass to Lucky. However, a brief hesitation allowed the Konkola defence to recover and clear the danger.Just five minutes later, Kansanshi’s momentum was disrupted.
Garry appeared to pick up a knock in the 29th minute and was replaced by Brighton Kabumba moments after Konkola took the lead in the 24th minute through Clive Bieta.
The Fearless Boys continued to push forward, with Rodgers Lukonde delivering a fine cross into the box in the 36th minute. Brighton, however, delayed his attempt, and the ball rolled out of play.
The second half was largely dominated by Konkola, who came close to doubling their lead on several occasions. Goalkeeper Gregory Sanjase stood firm, producing a string of impressive saves to keep Kansanshi in the contest.
In the closing stages, Kansanshi pressed higher up the pitch in search of an equaliser, coming close in the 80th and 85th minutes, but the finishing touch eluded them.
Sanjase’s outstanding performance earned him the Player of the Match award.Speaking after the match, head coach Zeddy Saileti described the fixture as an important test ahead of the new season.
“We lacked some composure in the final third. It was an important match for us our main objective was to check our match fitness and readiness for the season,” he said.
” We now have an idea of where to improve going forward. We played against a strong team, and this helps us see where we are.”
While the result may not have gone their way, Kansanshi Dynamos will take positives from the performance as they prepare to launch their MTN Super League journey.