09 Apr CEPHAS’ WINNER EVOKES MEMORIES OF COCA COLA TRIUMPH
The moment Cephas Mulombwa headed in the winner, the scenes that characterized the celebrations evoked memories of 2005 when Forest Rangers lifted the Coca Cola Cup at Arthur Davies Stadium.
Forest beat Red Arrows 1-0 courtesy of a Frazer Mwewa effort to win the club’s first cup in 2005.
And those that can vividly remember the wild celebrations that erupted at the same venue after Mulombwa scored, they resemble the scenes of 18 years ago when Mwewa goal stunned Arrows.
A pandemonium of celebrations broke out immediately after referee Tryson Mwape blew the final whistle on Saturday as Forest marched into the final for the first time.
The wild celebrations were justified as Forest rallied to beat Power Dynamos 2-1 at their home turf to storm the final of the ABSA Cup for the first time in the history of the club.
Midfielder Frederick Mulambia put Power in-front as early as the fifth minute but second efforts by Moyela Libamba and Mulombwa ensured progression to the final set for National Heroes Stadium on May 13.
Mulombwa is enjoying some rich vein of form in the competition and has so far scored two goals.
He scored the solitary goal when Forest overcame Green Buffaloes 1-0 in the quarter-finals.
Mulombwa is the competition’s leading scorer with two goals.
But it is not just Mulombwa who deserves a pat on his back for scoring the winner but also the manner in which the whole team approached the game after going down.
Forest embraced the never-say-die attitude and were undoubtedly the better team on the day as they made the home side chase shadows for larger spells of the match.
Stand-in coach Kennedy Kashobondo was left impressed with what had befallen his eyes in the first semi-final.
“It was not an easy game and you saw how Power came. We were 1-0 down but in the second half we pushed hard and scored the two goals,” he said.
He said his technical bench made tactical changes that helped the team defeat Power.
“We sat and made a decision and the substitutions worked and it is good we managed to come from behind and score the two goals,” Kashobondo said.
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