Former PSL stars Perry Mutapa, who turned out for Orlando Pirates, and ex-AmaZulu goalkeeper Kalililo Kakonje clash in Zambia’s season-opening Charity Shield on Saturday.
Mutapa, who was with the Buccaneers between 2004 and 2006, is the head coach of Napsa, while his opposite in Saturday’s final is Red Arrows’ assistant coach.
Kakonje, who spent five years in KZN with AmaZulu and Arrows, is currently standing in for Chisi Mbewe, who is away attending a coaching course.
Mutapa believes they can snatch another giant-killing act over defending Zambian champions Red Arrows in the 2022 Charity Shield final at National Heroes Stadium in Lusaka, which comes five months after denying the latter a double.
On April 30, 2022, at the same venue, Napsa beat Arrows 1-0 in the 2022 ABSA Cup final to cap a successful promotion race.
🚨 𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐂𝐇 𝐃𝐀𝐘 𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐄𝐖 🚨
— NapsastarsFc (@napsastars_fc) August 13, 2022
Pensioners begin their 2022/23 competitive action with a Charity Shield match against Red Arrows FC this afternoon.
Read the full match pre-view👇🏾https://t.co/gDJHVptUjY
They also became the first second-tier club to win the trophy. Mutapa also enters his second season as Napsa coach, where he met the Lusaka clubs’ target when he guided them back to the FAZ Super League on the first attempt.
The ex-Pirates midfielder said Napsa wanted to make a statement that their ABSA Cup win was not a fluke. “We have done our homework as well, but for the Red Arrows supporters, the players and everyone involved at the club, it was tough for them that we beat them because obviously, they were hoping for a double,” Mutapa said.
“But even in Saturday’s game, we hope we can cause another upset because this is what is going to drive us as we start the new season.”
On the other hand, Arrows are eager to do better than they did last season. “On our end, we want to do better than what we did last season in all aspects,” Kalililo said.
“We just want to score more goals and keep more clean sheets. In a nutshell, just to do better than last season and write our own history.”
Napsa will be chasing their first-ever Charity Shield win while Arrows are gunning for their third season-opening title.
Meanwhile, they meet in another Lusaka derby immediately after the Charity Shield final in their 2022/2023 FAZ Super League Week 1 fixture on August 20 when Mutapa’s charges visit the two-time Zambian champions at Nkoloma Stadium.
