ZESCO United are officially the new champions of Zambia following Sunday’s 2-0 home win over NAPSA Stars at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola.

The Ndola club won their ninth league crown, which ties them with Mufulira Wanderers as the second most successful Zambian club. Nkana leads the charts with 13 league titles in Zambia.

Out-going champions Nkana had an incredibly poor season as they are currently on the opposite end of the table as they are battling for survival to avoid relegation.

ZESCO have attained an unassailable 64 points with just three games to spare and have an eleven-point advantage over second-placed Zanaco who also have three matches left to play.

The game was entertaining to watch as NAPSA flew out of the blocks against a ZESCO side that cautiously defended tightly by absorbing the pressure in the opening 17 minutes of the first half.

However, the chemistry was completely lacking between NAPSA’s striking pair of Tapson Kaseba and Jimmy Mukeya who were starting together for the first time this season after Kaseba spent most of this term on the sidelines with sickness and injury.

As the twenty-minute mark approached, ZESCO took it up a notch and seemed to find more gears, They pushed forward with Zimbabwean midfielder Thabani Kamusoko seeing his 19th minute shot from range take a deflection before it hit the woodwork.

NAPSA goalkeeper Shaaban Odhoji had nothing to do up until that moment and was called into action soon after again in the 26th minute as he denied Winston Kalengo from range. Four minutes later, Odhoji again shut out Kalengo with another fine stop at the near post.

Kalengo was involved in the thick of things as he turned provider in the 41st minute for the first goal with a powerful pinpoint diagonal pass for Jesse Were who picked up the ball at the far post to fire home and see ZESCO take a deserved halftime lead.

Zesco midfielder Kelvin Mubanga, who had opted out of the Chipolopolo international friendly tour earlier this month on personal grounds, was the star of the show in the second half as he constantly tested Odhoji from range.

Mubanga ended up scoring in the 81st minute to confirm ZESCO’s status as the new Zambian kings.

He has now won back-to-back league titles after lifting the trophy with Nkana the last season before moving to ZESCO in the pre-season as a free agent.