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Zambian team nominated for African Club of Year award

Xinhua, December 13, 2016 Adjust font size:

Zambia' s envoys in this year' s Confederation of African Football (CAF) Champions League have been nominated for the Club of the Year award, the country' s soccer governing body said on Monday.

Zesco United, who reached the semi-finals of the tournament, have been nominated for the award after an impressive performance during the tournament, according to a statement posted on the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) website.

The other teams nominated for the award are 2016 Champions League Champions Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa, losing finalists Zamalek of Egypt and 2016 Confederations Cup finalists TP Mazembe of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Mo Bejaia of Algeria.

The Zambian team made history by becoming the first club in the country to reach the semi-finals of the tournament.

Ranked outsiders at the start of the tournament, Zesco beat South Sudan' s Al-Ghazala in the preliminary round and went on to reach the group stage after they eliminated Horoya AC of Guinea and State Malien of Mali in the first and second rounds respectively.

During the group stage play-offs, the Zambian team managed to record two wins, three draws and no defeat to reach the semi-finals of the tournament. They faced some of Africa' s biggest teams such as Asec Mimosa of Cote d'Ivoire, Egypt' s Al Ahly and Wydad Athletic Club of Morocco.

The Zambian team, which has qualified for the CAF Confederation Cup tournament next year after finishing second in the just-ended soccer league, lost 3-2 to Mamelodi Sundowns in the semi-finals after beating the South African team 2-1 in the first tie. Endit