Zesco and Swallows share the spoils

The match also went in some way to exorcise Zesco’s first home loss in continental competition when they were beaten 1-0 in Ndola on March 7 by ASEC Mimosa at the 1/16th round.

Zesco and Swallows went into the break scoreless but it was the home side who looked the most likely to score in the opening period.

Lazarus Kambole shot wide in the fifth minute and three minutes later, Winston Kalengo also missed the target as Swallows sat back and soaked the pressure.

Fackson Kapumbu too had a great opportunity but miscued an indirect free kick from Jesse Were in the 35th minute.

Swallows best effort came in 43rd minute but Stanley Umukoro’s effort was too tame to bother Zesco goalkeeper Jacob Banda.

The homers continued to probe Swallows after the restart but Kambole’s 50th minute goal-bound shot was deflected for a corner.

Swallows briefly threatened in the midst of Zesco’s pressure in the 57th minute but Daniel Atakorah was flagged for offside as he locked his gun sights on goals.

The pressure then paid off for Zesco in the 64th minute when defender David Owino headed in a John Chingandu corner.

Chingadu then could have made it two-nil in the 71st minute but sent his shot wide.

Swallows equalized in the 81st minute on the counter when Mangaliso Shongwe turned in captain Tony Tsabedze’s cross from the left wing to see the two sides share the spoils.

Shongwe’s goal was a massive relief for coach Thabo Vilakati after his tactical decision to bring him on in the 65th minute to replace Atakorah paid off.