Sports

Forest Rangers: From Building a Legacy to Fighting for Survival

Published

2 months ago

April 20, 2025

60 Views

By Gabriel Nkunika
Forest Rangers have taken bold strides off the pitch, most notably by becoming one of the few Zambian clubs to build and own their own stadium — a true symbol of ambition and long-term vision.
This investment boosts the club’s identity and offers long-term financial opportunities through gate takings, sponsorships, and local events.
However, on the pitch, things have taken a different turn. Despite avoiding heavy defeats, the Ndola-based side has drawn too many matches — a recurring issue that has left them second from the bottom and just a few points above relegation.
2019–2020: So Close, Yet So Far
It wasn’t always like this. Forest Rangers came agonizingly close to winning their first-ever Super League title in the 2019–2020 season. Level on 50 points with Nkana FC heading into the final day, a goalless draw with Zanaco saw Forest lose the title on goal difference. That season, despite disruptions due to COVID-19, the team showed resilience, leadership, and top-level consistency.
Their second-place finish earned them a spot in the CAF Champions League the following season — a huge milestone that marked the club’s rise in Zambian football.
So what happened? How did a club on the rise find itself fighting to avoid relegation?
Departure of Coach Mwenya Chipepo
Forest made a big statement by hiring Mwenya Chipepo from Power Dynamos — a title-winning coach with high expectations. He initially brought structure and belief to the team. But his unexpected departure to Nkana FC cut that progress short. Losing a coach of his quality midway through his project left Forest without a clear direction — a disruption that they’ve yet to fully recover from.
The Return of Ian Bakala — But with Divided Focus
In a bid to stabilize the team, Forest brought back Ian Bakala, who had guided them to ABSA Cup success in his previous stint. Fans hoped his familiarity and past achievements would help turn things around.
However, Bakala’s impact was limited. He only managed a few games due to his dual commitments with the Zambia Under-17 Men’s National Team, where he serves as head coach. This divided attention prevented him from committing fully to Forest’s cause, and the team once again found itself lacking consistent leadership.
Recruitment Missteps
In the past, Forest Rangers made sharp, effective signings — bringing in top talents like Mpho Mathekgane from South Africa, goalkeeper Mathias Kigonya from Uganda, defender Cedric Djeugoué, and midfield anchor Benson Kolala. These players added depth and lifted the team’s overall performance.
But recent recruitment has failed to match that standard. Instead of strengthening the team, the latest transfer windows have brought underwhelming signings that haven’t addressed key areas like midfield creativity or goal scoring. The lack of fresh, dynamic talent has been a major setback.
An Aging Core
Another challenge is the aging nature of the squad. A significant number of Forest’s key players including Quadri Kola, Cedric Djeugoué, and Chris Mugalu are in their 30s. While their experience is valuable, their declining physical sharpness has been evident.
This has led to the team often fading in the latter stages of matches, resulting in numerous draws instead of wins. Without a proper mix of youth and experience, the squad has struggled to maintain intensity across 90 minutes a crucial factor in their poor league position.
Time to Reset
Forest Rangers have shown they have the infrastructure and ambition to be a powerhouse in Zambian football. But ambition off the pitch needs to be matched by smart, consistent decisions on it. Coaching instability, poor recruitment, and an aging squad have combined to stall what once looked like a rising force.
If Forest wants to avoid the drop and reclaim its place among the league’s elite, a bold reset is needed one that includes long-term coaching stability, smarter player acquisition, and a gradual rebuild with younger, hungry talent.
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Sports

Power’s Titus Chansa on top scorer award

Published

10 hours ago

June 19, 2025

an24afri

7 Views

At the beginning of the season, no one had fancied Titus Chansa to win the Golden Boot but the striker defied odds.
Chansa netted 13 goals to finish as MTN Super League joint scorer with Nkana’s Idris Mbombo.
Chansa was winning the accolade for the first time while for Mbombo, it was the second having bagged it in 2018.
Chansa started the season with Mutondo Stars before joining champions Power Dynamos during the January transfer window on a one year loan.
He had already netted nine times for Mutondo in the first round when he was trekking to title-chasers Power.
The four goals in Power colours in the second round were enough for him to etch his name in history books and help the Kitwe side win the title.
The Zambia international is over the moon after a stellar season.
“It feels good and it has motivated me to work extra hard in the coming seasons,” Chansa said.
Asked if the move to Power prevented him from scoring more than the four he managed, Chansa attributed the low scoring rate to injury.
“It only affected me the time I had an injury which led to not playing nine games plus.”
Chansa said he faced healthy competition from other strikers in the race for the golden boot.
“The competition was there in every game we had knowing that I was in the race for the Golden boot with players who have been in competition already…but it kept me motivated to challenge them despite having not won it before,” he said.
With his loan deal expiring in December, Chansa has big ambitions.
“My goals for next season is to maintain the same hard work especially scoring more goals, helping the team achieve in winning the Super League also to be part of the Zambia National Soccer Team.
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Chipasula joins Barbra Banda, Kundananji in WAFCON squad

Published

13 hours ago

June 19, 2025

an24afri

6 Views

Copper Queens coach Nora Häuptle has named her final 24-member squad for the CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) Morocco 2025.
Häuptle has included teenage sensation Mercy Chipasula and Mapalo Maluba into her final team.
China based striker Fridah Mukoma has also made the cut.
The former Black Queens coach has named three goalkeepers in the squad with Catherine Musonda expected to be the first choice.
Despite struggling for game time since Häuptle took over, defender Martha Tembo has also made the team.
Vice Captain Grace Chanda returns to the side after missing the Women’s World Cup in Australia/New Zealand through illness.
Chanda has been joined by her Orlando Pride teammates Prisca Chilufya and Barbra Banda.
Bay FC foward Racheal Kundananji wraps up the squad.
Zambia is in Group A alongside hosts Morocco, Senegal and neighbours DR Congo.
The Copper Queens will face Morocco in the opening fixture on July 5.
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Sports

Exclusive: Blades, Riverplate reach agreement over Zansi and Saile

Published

15 hours ago

June 19, 2025

an24afri

9 Views

MTN Super League newcomers Konkola Blades have reached an agreement with ZPL National League side Riverplate to sign duo of striker Golden Zansi and defensive midfielder Benjamin Saile, the ZamFoot Crew can exclusively reveal.
The two clubs reached an agreement in the last 72 hours with the duo set to complete their move to the Chilabombwe based outfit.
The ZamFoot Crew understands that personal terms are currently being finalized to allow the two players to move to Blades.
Zansi who joined RiverPlate FC in 2022 won the FAZ Southern Province Division One League back to back and helped Riverplate qualify for the national League.
During his first season, Zansi scored only one goal during the National League playoffs against Mwaimwena Strikers.
In the 2023/2024 season, he scored 17 goals in the FAZ Southern Province Division One League despite missing 14 league games in the second round due to an injury.
During the 2024/2025 season, he was joint top scorer in the ZPL National League with 10 goals. He also contributed 5 Assists.
Golden Zansi’s RiverPlate Career:
30 goals for River Plate; 17 in the FAZ Southern Province Division One, 3 National League Playoffs (1 in 2023 and 2 in 2024), 10 ZPL National League goals.
Saeli on the other hand has played 2 seasons for River Plate featuring as a defensive midfielder.
His first season was the 2023/2024 season and helped the team win the FAZ Southern Province Division One League, and also qualified for the ZPL National League via playoffs.
He scored only one goal in a week 22 match against Kitwe United in Kitwe. He made 5 assists in the season.
Blades are seriously looking to reinforce their squad ahead of the 2025/2026 MTN Super League season.
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