# ABSA Cup

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Zambian knockout football competition

For the South African competition that formerly used this name, see [Nedbank Cup](/source/Nedbank_Cup).

Football tournament

ABSA Cup Logo since 2019 Organiser(s) FAZ Founded 2007 Region Zambia Teams 8 teams (6 from Super League and 2 from National Division One) Current champions Red Arrows F.C. Most championships ZESCO United F.C (6 titles) Broadcaster SuperSport 2026 ABSA Cup

The **ABSA Cup**, formerly the **Barclays Cup**, is the current branding for an [association football](/source/Association_football) [cup competition](/source/Single-elimination_tournament) launched in 2007 by the [Football Association of Zambia](/source/Football_Association_of_Zambia).[1][2][3]

Participants are decided half-way through current season (match day 17)[4] and are picked from the two highest divisions in Zambia. Since the inaugural season of [National Division One](/source/Zambia_National_Division_One) in the 2019–20 season, 2 teams are picked from that division and 6 are from the [Super League](/source/Zambia_Super_League) to enter the competition each year.[5]

Following the full acquisition of the assets and operations of [Barclays](/source/Barclays) in Africa,[6] including Zambia,[7] by South Africa-based [ABSA](/source/Absa_Group_Limited) (now *Absa Group Limited*) in 2018, the competition's next edition in 2019 was rebranded as the **Absa Cup**.[8]

The [video assistant referee](/source/Video_assistant_referee) (VAR) was introduced to the competition and implemented on [a pilot basis](/source/Pilot_experiment) at [the final](/source/2023_ABSA_Cup_final) of [the 2023 edition](/source/2023_ABSA_Cup),[9][10] a first in [Zambian football](/source/Zambian_football) and Sub-Saharan African football as a whole. Thus, this put Zambia on the list as the 3rd African country after Morocco and Egypt to introduce and implement VAR in domestic football matches.[11] Head of referees at FAZ, Aziph Banda, cited the inadequacy of [FIFA](/source/FIFA)-certified referees to operate the VAR, with female referee Diana Chikotesha being the only exception having previously experienced its usage at the [2022 Women's Africa Cup of Nations](/source/2022_Women's_Africa_Cup_of_Nations) and [Janny Sikazwe](/source/Janny_Sikazwe) having retired as the reason why the association appointed foreign referees solely for that final.[12]

## New format

As of the 2024–25 season, 21 teams from Zambia's three highest leagues (10 provincial league, 4 National division one, 7 super league) will qualify at the halfway point of the season.

## Winners

As Barclays Cup 2007 ZESCO United 0–0 (aet, 4–2 pen.) Chambishi 2008 ZESCO United 1–0 Power Dynamos 2009 Power Dynamos 2–1 Green Buffaloes 2010 ZESCO United 2–0 Zanaco 2011 Power Dynamos 2–1 Konkola Blades 2012 NAPSA Stars 4–4 (a.e.t., 4–2 pen.) Power Dynamos 2013 Red Arrows 3–1 Nchanga Rangers 2014 ZESCO United 3–0 Nkana 2015 Green Buffaloes 2–0 Nkwazi 2016 ZESCO United 1–0 Zanaco 2017 Zanaco 2–1 (a.e.t.) NAPSA Stars 2018 Nkana 3–0 Young Buffaloes As Absa Cup 2019 ZESCO United 4–1 Zanaco 2020 Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Zambia[13] 2021 Lusaka Dynamos 0–0 (3–1 pen.) ZESCO United 2022 Napsa Stars 1–0[14] Red Arrows 2023 Forest Rangers 2–0 Maestro United Zambia 2024 Red Arrows 2–1 Kabwe Warriors 2025[15] ZESCO United 1–1 (4–2 pen.) Red Arrows 2026[16] Red Arrows 2–0 Power Dynamos

## Performances by club

Club Location Winners Losing finalists ZESCO United Ndola 7 1 Red Arrows Lusaka 3 2 Power Dynamos Kitwe 2 3 NAPSA Stars Lusaka 2 1 Zanaco Lusaka 1 3 Green Buffaloes Lusaka 1 1 Nkana Kitwe 1 1 Lusaka Dynamos Lusaka 1 0 Forest Rangers Ndola 1 0 Chambishi Chambishi 0 1 Kabwe Warriors Kabwe 0 1 Konkola Blades Chililabombwe 0 1 Maestro United Zambia F.C. Mazabuka 0 1 Nchanga Rangers Chingola 0 1 Nkwazi Lusaka 0 1 Young Buffaloes 0 1

## Records

- Shadreck Malambo set a competition record by winning all 3 ABSA Cup finals he has featured in, each with 3 different clubs; 2013 with Red Arrows, 2018 with Nkana and 2023 with Forest Rangers.[17]

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["Barclays Cup"](http://zambianfootball.co.zm/barclays-cup/). *ZamFoot*. Retrieved 17 April 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["Zambia Cup Winners"](https://www.rsssf.org/tablesz/zambcuphist.html). *[RSSSF](/source/RSSSF)*. Retrieved 17 April 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["Cups"](https://web.archive.org/web/20220523175908/https://www.faz.co.zm/cups/). *[Football Association of Zambia](/source/Football_Association_of_Zambia)*. Archived from [the original](https://www.faz.co.zm/cups/) on 23 May 2022. Retrieved 23 May 2022.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["8 Teams Picked For 2020 Absa Cup"](https://www.zedsoccer.com/8-teams-picked-for-2020-absa-cup/). *ZedSoccer*. 28 February 2020. Retrieved 21 November 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["ABSA Cup 2019"](https://www.rsssf.org/tablesz/zamb2019.html). *[RSSSF](/source/RSSSF)*. Retrieved 21 November 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** Buthelezi, Londiwe (8 April 2013). ["Absa's Deal To Buy Barclays' African Operations Runs Behind Schedule"](http://www.iol.co.za/business/companies/absa-s-deal-to-buy-barclays-african-operations-runs-behind-schedule-1.1496625#.U9_Mv5Ug8Ss). *[IOL](/source/Independent_Online_(South_Africa))*. Retrieved 7 June 2018.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** ["Barclays Africa Group Rebrands to Absa Group Limited"](https://web.archive.org/web/20180501093951/https://tumfweko.com/2018/03/02/barclays-africa-group-rebrands-to-absa-group-ltd/). *Tumufweko*. [Lusaka](/source/Lusaka). 2 March 2018. Archived from [the original](https://tumfweko.com/2018/03/02/barclays-africa-group-rebrands-to-absa-group-ltd/) on 1 May 2018. Retrieved 30 April 2018.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** ["2019 ABSA Cup launched as sponsorship package gets 25% hike"](http://zambianfootball.co.zm/2019-absa-cup-launched-as-sponsorship-package-gets-25-hike/). *ZamFoot*. 23 May 2019. Retrieved 24 May 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** ["VAR for the 2023 ABSA Cup final?"](https://zambianfootball.co.zm/var-for-the-2023-absa-cup-final/). *ZamFoot*. 22 May 2023. Retrieved 31 May 2023.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** Mukunsa, Mutakila (27 May 2023). ["Zambia first to use VAR technology in Cosafa region"](https://bolanews.co/soccer/absa-cup-2023/zambia-makes-history/). *Bolanews*. Retrieved 1 June 2023.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** Tutu, Arnold (27 May 2023). ["VAR To Be Used During ABSA Cup Final"](https://www.znbc.co.zm/news/var-to-be-used-during-absa-cup-final/). *[ZNBC](/source/ZNBC)*. Retrieved 31 May 2023.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** Chikenge, Calvin Kaumba (27 May 2023). ["FAZ explains why the ABSA Cup final was not officiated by Zambians with VAR in use"](https://bolanews.co/soccer/absa-cup-2023/faz-explains-why-the-absa-cup-final-was-not-officiated-by-zambians/). *Bolanews*. Retrieved 31 May 2023.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-13)** ["2020 ABSA Cup Cancelled"](https://www.lusakatimes.com/2020/08/05/2020-absa-cup-cancelled/). *Lusaka Times*. 5 August 2020. Retrieved 21 November 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-14)** ["NAPSA Stars stun Red Arrows to win the ABSA Cup"](https://zambianfootball.co.zm/napsa-stars-stun-red-arrows-to-win-the-absa-cup/). *Zamfoot*. 2022-04-30. Retrieved 2023-06-05.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-15)** ["ZESCO win record extending seventh ABSA Cup title - an24 africa"](https://news.an24.africa/2025/05/10/zesco-win-record-extending-seventh-absa-cup-title/). 2025-05-10. Retrieved 2025-05-24.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-16)** Jere, Joshua. ["Red Arrows Crowned 2026 ABSA Cup Champions – Zambia 24"](https://zambia24.com/2026/05/10/red-arrows-crowned-2026-absa-cup-champions/). Retrieved 2026-05-11.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-17)** Chama, Lucky (26 May 2023). ["Shadreck Malambo poised to set ABSA Cup"](https://bolanews.co/soccer/absa-cup-2023/shadreck-malambo-poised-to-set-absa-cup-record/). *Bolanews*. Retrieved 1 June 2023.

v t e Barclays Cup / ABSA Cup Barclays Cup (2007 – 2018) 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 ABSA Cup (2019–present) 2019 2020 (not held) 2021 2022 2023 (final) 2024 (final) 2025 (final)

v t e Football in Zambia Football Association of Zambia National teams Men National team U-23 U-20 U-17 Women National team U-20 U-17 League system Men Super League Division One Women Super Division Domestic cups ABSA Cup History 2021 2023 final Other Zambian Charity Shield Zambian Women's Charity Shield Awards Footballer of the Year Top scorers Lists All-time Table Champions Clubs International footballers Foreign players Venues Lore 1993 Zambia national football team plane crash Men's clubs Women's clubs Men's players Women's players Expatriate players Managers Referees Venues Seasons Records

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [ABSA Cup](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ABSA_Cup) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ABSA_Cup?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.