Heartbreak for Harambee Stars duo as Zambian club suffers cup final defeat

Harambee Stars striker Moses Shumah and his compatriot Emmauel Osoro will not end their maiden seasons in Zambia with a cup double, this after their Power Dynamos side suffered a 2-0 defeat to Red Arrows in the Absa Cup final at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola on Sunday, 10 May.

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The duo, who helped the Aba Yellow to the Super League title last week, had been looking to make it a season to remember by scooping another domestic accolade, only for their team to stumble when it mattered most, effectively handing Red Arrows their second Absa Cup in three years.

Shumah, after his return from illness earlier this week, was deployed upfront for all 90 minutes on Sunday, but had a tough day in office as he remained a distant figure, and was largely marked out of the game.

Osoro, meanwhile, was left out of the matchday squad, in a day to forget for the nine-time league champions.

Instead, it was Red Arrows who dominated the game from the jump, and were rewarded with a goal in the 45th minute, when Albert Kangwanda arrowed a finish past Lawrence Mulenga, following an erratic clearance from John Soko.

Things went from bad to worse for the Kitwe-based side early in the second half, when another error in the backline resulted in a second goal for Red Arrows.

This came in the 53rd minute, when Power Dynamos defender Dominic Chanda’s miss gifted possession to Lazarous Chishimba on the byline, who squeezed a fierce shot past Mulenga at his near post, and from an tight angle.

Despite looking more engaged in the second period, Power Dynamos were rendered ineffective, failing to lay a glove on their opposition, who held out to a memorable victory, that was hugely celebrated by the red shirts in the stadium.

A second cup win since their latest one in 2024 earned Red Arrows a spot at next season’s CAF Confederation Cup, with Power Dynamos forced to settle with a single trophy this year.

“It was game of two halves,” Power Dynamos coach Oswald Mutapa said post-game. “Red Arrows controlled the first half, they were hungry and wanted it more, but in the second half, we were much better, and got the chances when it was too late.”

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To get to the final, Power Dynamos had edged past Mufulira in extra-time in the semifinals, and dispatched both Nchanga Rangers and Nampundwe in the knockouts, all without conceding a goal.