Mazembe trample Nkana in test match

Kitwe giants Nkana FC faced a stern test of their pre-season preparations on Tuesday afternoon, falling to a 3-1 defeat against continental heavyweights TP Mazembe of the Democratic Republic of Congo in a closed-door friendly fixture at Wusakile Stadium. The high-profile encounter served as a crucial barometer for head coach Elijah Tana as he fine-tunes his squad ahead of the demanding domestic football calendar. While pre-season results are traditionally treated with cautious optimism, the fixture against the seasoned Lubumbashi side exposed both defensive vulnerabilities and areas of promise for the Copperbelt legendary club. Playing behind closed doors allowed the technical bench to experiment with different tactical formations and evaluate new acquisitions without the intense pressure of the partisan Red Army supporters. TP Mazembe, renowned for their tactical discipline and physical prowess in African club competitions, capitalized on defensive lapses by the hosts to assert dominance early in the match. Despite Nkana managing to pull a goal back through spirited attacking transitions in the second half, the visitors' clinical finishing ultimately secured the comfortable 3-1 victory. For Coach Elijah Tana, who has been working diligently to restore Kalampa to the summit of Zambian football, matches of this magnitude are invaluable. Pre-season fixtures against elite continental opposition provide the precise intensity required to expose squad depth and match fitness following rigorous physical conditioning blocks. Tana noted that the encounter offered vital lessons, particularly regarding defensive transition speed and midfield compactness when under pressure from technically gifted opponents. As Nkana returns to the drawing board at Wusakile, the focus shifts immediately toward rectifying identified shortcomings before the official league kickoff. The club's leadership and technical staff remain confident that the rigorous testing against top-tier opposition