KABWE WARRIORS! A SLEEPING GIANT, IS IT THE RIGHT TIME TO WAKE UP?

 

 

KABWE WARRIORS

THE OLD GIANT MAY JUST BE WOKENED UP

INTRODUCTION

Last Week I stated that Kabwe Warriors was a team supported by mature age group and most of them with gray hair and havi ng a look at their history will just give you that indicationThe trend with Zambian fans is that they tend to shift their support to teams that do well unless those few fabs that will stick with the club in defeat or in Victory. Other fabs will even follow the club even when they go down to division one.

Kabwe Warriors I would say is one giant of the Zambian game currently sleeping but looking like it is almost being awakened and that will only be proved as the season kicks off in Late February. It’s based in Kabwe and recently its headline had been the demoted to Division one in the 2015 season and they still claim the reason for the dem

otion was the docking of points by FAZ because of the unruly behavior of the fans. Another factor that the team has to work on.

They play their home games at Godfrey ‘Ucar’ Chitalu 107 Stadium in Kabwe.

If you mention the name Kabwe Warriors you would have no choice but to remember a Zambian football great Godfrey Chitalu who played for the club between 1971 and 1982. In 1972 he scored 107 goals in all competitions for club and country; more than Lionel Messi‘s officially recognized record set in 2012.

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HIGHLIGHTS FOR KABWE WARRIORS

SUPER LEAGUE

The last time Kabwe Warriors looks to a very long time ago and that year was in 1987, but lets get to the history of Kabwe Warriors and the Super League.

The team has five titles in the Super League with the first coming as early as 1968 and that title stopped Mufulira Wanderers from winning the League Title four times in a roll. Mighty Mufulira Wanderers had won the previous three prior to 1968 and it looked there was no team worth challenging the Mufulira team before Warriors came in to stop them in 1968. They would not be able to continue with the title in 1969 as Mufulira Wanderers got it back the following year.

But Kabwe Warriors would the regroup with the famous Godfrey Chitalu from 1970 to 1972 when Kabwe Warriors would only be second team to join Mighty who had won the title three times in a role. Of course later in the year, Nkana would then join the two team.

Kabwe Warriors would then go down the drain and struggle to fight for the league until 1987 when they would get their fifth and last title in the Super League.

That would make Kabwe Warriors the sleeping Giants and teams like Zanaco would regroup be formed and bypass that fifth record of the League titles. Zesco United has also managed to catch up with the sleeping giant.

But could 2016 be that year????????????

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OTHER HONOURS

CASTLE CUP

Castle Cup is the earliest trophy that Kabwe Warriors have in their cabinet after winning it for the first time in 1967 again stopping Mufulira Wanderers from winning three in a roll.

And after winning the Super League in 1968, Kabwe Warriors failed to defend the league in 1969 and but did not finish the season empty handed as they grabbed Castle Cup again from Mufulira Wanderers in 1969.

Kabwe Warriors would also play the 1970 Castle Cup final but would lose to Ndola United 2-1.

Warriors would hence wait for two years before they win another Castle Cup in 1972 beating Kitwe United 6-1, which hap

pens to be their second biggest final record.

The team would then fail to get into the final until 1984 when they would get another Castle Cup title which was now called Independence Cup. This time they would not wait for too long but it would be in 1987 they would get another title until the tournament would change its name from Castle Cup to Mosi Cup in 1993.

The change of name didn’t do good to Kabwe Warriors as they played three finals without getting the title. In short Kabwe Warriors miss the MOSI CUP in their cabinet. The following are the three finals Kabwe Warriors played in the Mosi Cup tourney.

2001 Power Dynamos 1-0 Kabwe Warriors

2003 Power Dynamos 1-0 Kabwe Warriors

2004 Lusaka Celtic 2-1 Kabwe Warriors

The tournament came to an end in 2007 with Red Arrows as the last winners.

Kabwe Officially has five titles.

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BP TOP EIGHT CUP

This is one of the oldest tournament in the country and records show that this tournament could have existed before 1962 but the organized one is from 1962 when the League is said to have been introduced. It was earlier known as the Challenge Cup AND BECAME KNOWN AS BP TOP 8 in 1982.

Kabwe Warriors introduced itself to the final of the then Challenge Cup in 1970 and that year they won it beating Roan United 3-2. They would go on to the final the following year only to lose to Kitwe United 1-0 in 1971.

Warriors with Godfrey Ucar Chitalu would come back and get the title in 1972 beating Ndola United 3-1 in the final. It was good years for them but had challenges in defending the cup as they lost the other final in 1973 to Nchanga Rangers, 2-0 was the score line.

Kabwe Warriors would then disappear in the finals until 1991when they would play Konkola Blades in the final and record their biggest result in any final perhaps the record for the country . They beat Konkola Blades 7-0.

They would come back to feature in another final in 1993against Nkana but they would go on to lose 3-2 . Nkana would again deny the Kabwe outfit another BP TOP 8 in 1998 as Warriors would lose 2-1.

But then 2002 and 2003 would be the first time Kabwe Warriors would defend the BP TOP 8 beating Power Dynamos in 2002 and Konkola Blades in 2003.

2002Kabwe Warriors   1-0 Power Dynamos

2003 Kabwe Warriors    2-0 Konkola Blades

They would take a break just for a year and come back to bear Green Buffaloes in 2005

2005 Kabwe Warriors  2-1 Green Buffaloes

Another break in 2006 but come back to beat Nakambala Leopards in the final of 2007.

2007 Kabwe Warriors             3-1 Nakambala Leopards

So on record Kabwe Warriors has won the BP Top 8 eight times with four runners medals. Only Mufulira Wanderers has more titles (9)

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COCA COLA CUP

The Shortest Cup tournament in Zambia remain Coca Cola Cup and Kabwe Warriors has one title from the seven. They won it in 2006 beating Forest Rangers 2-0.

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CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS CUP

This was usually between 4 teams that is trophy winners of previous season and best league finishers for remaining places a

nd Winners occasionally entitled to enter African Cup Winners Cup.

Kabwe Warriors have three titles they won in 1987, 1989 and 1991.

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CHARITY SHIELD

We have had 47 Charity Shields finals from the time this was introduced in 1967 and Kabwe Warriors is second with Titles with 6 only second to Nkana who have 15. Kabwe Warriors won the Shield in 1969 to 1973, that’s five times in a roll. After that they had to wait until 1992 to win their sixth shield.

Kabwe Warriors would then play the final and lose in the following years:

2003 Zanaco   3-2 Kabwe Warriors

2007 Zesco United      1-1 Kabwe Warriors           [aet, 5-3 pen]

2008 Green Buffaloes           2-1 Kabwe Warriors           [aet]

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CHIBUKU CUP

Chibuku Cup changed names from Heinrich Cup which was its original name and the latest name that people in Zambia remember is Heroes and Unity Cup. For Kabwe Warriors the first title came in 1971, they defended the title in 1972 beating Rhokana 5-3.

Warriors would then wait until 1980 for another final and title beating Mindolo United 2-0, they would fail to defend it and Red Arrows would then win the 1981 title. The fourth and last titke would come in 1992.

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UNSUCCESSFUL TOURNAMENT

Kabwe Warriors has never played in any Barclays Cup final

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PERFORMANCE IN CAF COMPETITIONS

Kabwe Warriors has also represented Zambian in the African games and the following are their records in CAF competitions:

African Cup of Champions Clubs: 4 appearances

1972: Quarter-Finals

1973: Quarter-Finals

1988: Second Round

1991: Second Round

CAF Cup: 3 appearances

1996 – First Round

1997 – Second Rou

nd

2002 – First Round

CAF Cup Winners’ Cup: 3 appearances

1992 – Second Round

1993 – First Round

1995 – Second Round

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2016 PROSPECT

They are back in the Super League and their introduction to the Super League was hampered by the loss of the hottest striker in Iddris Mbombo who was sold to Zesco United and that in whichever way you look at is a very big loss that would have worked very well for the team in the Super League.
Kabwe Warriors has no problem with Supporters and they have that un abundance, Kabwe Warriors always receive great support from their fans.
Their return to Super Division is not a true reflection of the game at Warriors. Warriors are not yet a formidable side whose standards are worth praising. It was easy for the team to bounce back because of the stature of opposition in Division One South.
The team must raise their game to survive, otherwise its future in Super Division is bleak as teams look to have prepared seriously for this coming season.

MY VERDICT

Kabwe is an old giant that is sleeping and their coming back in the Super League should be exciting but I wont put Kabwe Warriors as favourite to win the Title. They still need to do a lot of work.

I think they will be in the top eight at the end of the season

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ALL THE BEST KABWE WARRIORS IN 2016