The Harambee Stars trio have laid their hands on the Super League title without kicking a ball on Sunday
Kenya internationals Harun Shakava, Duke Abuya, and Duncan Otieno have finally celebrated winning the Zambian Super League title on Sunday.
Nkana were officially crowned the champions for the 2019-20 season after second-placed Forest Rangers secured a 0-0 draw against Zanaco in their re-arranged match.
The draw enabled Nkana to clinch their 13th Super League title, to remain the most successful club in the Zambian league.
Nkana and Rangers both finished on 50 points from the shortened Super League season that saw 27 of the 34 rounds played, but the former’s +17 goal-difference was four better than Rangers, who were fell tantalisingly short of their first-ever title victory.
Rangers could not play their previous match after 28 members tested positive for the coronavirus and the Disciplinary Committee awarded Zanaco three points and a 3-0 scoreline for the unplayed match on July 18, 2020.
Forest Rangers had challenged the decision that awarded Zanaco a walkover and three points but the Appeals Committee went ahead to rule in their favour.
The Zambian league was the third in Africa to resume their domestic competitions after Burundi and Tanzania owing to the break which occurred from mid-March following the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.
After four months of waiting, the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) decided to restart the league after being given the green light by the government.
The Ligue A of Burundi was also played to the end, like the Tanzania Mainland Premier League, which saw Simba SC crowned champions after attaining 88 points.
Yanga came second behind Simba, Azam were third while Simba also crowned the season by winning a treble, beating Namungo FC 2-1 in the final of the FA Cup.
Zanaco will now represent Zambia in the Caf Champions League while Forest will take part in the Confederation Cup.
In the meantime, for the first time in the club’s history, Zesco United will miss out on Caf duty for Zambia after they finished the season a distant fifth.
Zesco United is also the home to Kenyan players Jesse Were, who is being linked with a transfer move to Yanga, John Makwatta, and goalkeeper Ian Otieno.