05 Dec FOREST GETS PARTIAL NAPSA BENEFITS
One of the new dawn Government’s campaign promises was to allow partial withdraw of NAPSA funds for all eligible members.
And in recent weeks the issue of partial Napsa benefits was the talk of the town after it was announced that progress has been made for beneficiaries to start accessing their benefits through partial withdrawal.
But for Forest Rangers Football Club they managed to withdraw theirs last Saturday though the partial withdrawal has not come into effect.
Forest applied for a 50 percent partial withdrawal having been denied last season when they lost 1-0 at home and settled for a 2-all draw at the NAPSA’s head office in Lusaka.
This time around, Forest prepared adequately for the process of withdrawing its contribution as they welcomed Napsa at the Trade Fair Grounds.
Forest started their mission with real intent as midfielder Lazarous Chishimba called the visitors’ keeper Jackson Kakunta to duty in the early minutes of the game.
Napsa also had a chance to open the scoring but Jimmy Mukeya’s long range shot missed the crossbar by inches.
With the game heading for a barren first half, striker Moyela Libamba broke the deadlock on the stroke of half time after brilliantly finishing off a Quadri Kola pass beyond the reach of Kakunta.
The goal took Libamba’s tally to six this season, three behind current Super League leading scorer Kennedy Musonda of Power Dynamos.
Napsa suffered a setback before the interval after veteran Sydney Kalume was sent off for an early show for a second bookable offence.
After the break, despite playing with a man down Napsa upped the tempo and pinned Forest in their own half but failed to breach the four-man solid backline of skipper Cedric Djeugoue, Chitoshi Chinga, Dieugo Apanane and Leonard Makonga.
In the end, Libamba’s beautiful strike was all Forest needed to successfully withdraw their Napsa benefits which they in turn deposited in the ABSA account as part of the ambition of qualifying to play in the ABSA Cup.
Forest, who last competed in the ABSA Cup in 2020/2021 season, only need a point to secure a qualification.
The result and overall performance of the team cheered caretaker coach Kennedy Kashobondo.
“We planned for a win and I am happy we were able to achieve that, they only challenge is scoring, which is a problem others teams are experiencing too and we will work on it,” Kashobondo, who is first assistant, said in a post-match interview.
Forest’ next assignment is away to Zesco United in a Ndola derby slated for Levy Mwanawasa Stadium on Saturday.
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