The Red Arrows bench admits 2021/2022 Zambia golden boot winner Ricky Banda’s goalless start in all competitions is a source of concern.
Banda finished as the FAZ Super League top scorer last season on 16 goals last that helped propel Arrows to their second-ever Zambian top-flight title.
But after six competitive games played into the new campaign, Banda’s goal drought persists.
Arrows technical director Oswald Mutapa said after Saturday’s 2022/2023 CAF Champions League 1-0 home loss to Primeiro Agosto of Angola in Lusaka that they are looking into the issue.
“You know he is a striker and his main job is to score goals. Yes, we will try to talk to him because that is we want for him, to score goals for us,” Mutapa said.
“He is a young player who needs to be talked to and of course, you might talk of the awards but this is real life. And if it gets to your head it affects you.
“But he is playing well it is just the conversation rate.”
Veteran striker James Chamanga, who was Arrows number two scorer last season with 6 goals, scored his first goal of the campaign on September 4 in a 3-0 home win over Kansanshi Dynamos in Lusaka.
Striker Joseph Phiri and Chipolopolo midfielder Saddam Yusuf are Arrows’ early leaders with 2 goals each.
Meanwhile, Arrows head to Angola this week for Sunday’s CAF Champions League preliminary round, last leg fixture against Agosto seeking a vital win to avoid an early exit from this season’s competition.
Arrows, who have never qualified to the group stage of continental competition, reached the third round of the 2021/2022 CAF Confederation Cup.
The Zambian club last made a preliminary stage exit in the 2012 edition of the same competition following a 1-0 aggregate loss to Royal Leopards of Eswatini.
