MUKWIMA CHILALA writes
TWO-TIME super league champions Nchanga Rangers, will be racing against time to make a cut for the inaugural nation first division which starts in August 2019.
The 1980 and 1999 league champions got relegated at the end of the 2018 and now hopes for an immediate return have faded as the Chingola-based side is on position 6 with 39 points after 24 games played so far.
Rangers have won 11 games , drawing 6 and losing 7 games in a 16 team Division 1 Zone 2 which will see only the top team from the group qualifying to the restructured 2019/2020 Zambia super league.
The teams that will finish the league between position number 2 and 4 will then automatically qualify to the inaugural national first Division with the 5th position team and the rest dropping to the newly restructured Division 1 Zonal leagues.
Kansanshi Dynamos are pacesetters in division one zone two with 55 points followed by Gomes FC on 48 points with Indeni, Konkola Blades and Chambeshi in third, fourth and fifth position respectively.
Rangers’s quest for national first division qualification faces stiff competition from Gomes FC, Konkola Blades and Chambeshi who already fill the national division bracket.
Chambeshi FC who are just a point above , Rangers too have a chance to make in the national first division while First quantum and Trident FC too have outside chances as they are only separated by 4 and 9 points behind Rangers.
Rangers have only been relegated twice since inception of the league with the first time coming in the controversial board room decision that saw the team being relegated to the defunct division north league at the end of the 2009 soccer season.
Rangers bounced back the following season and went on to finish second in the 2010 season thereby qualifying to the Confederations Cup 2011 season going as far as the second round of the competition.
Ranger are today away to Kalumbila Quatro and will be hoping to maximize on the game to enhance their chances of a national division spot.
