2023 ABSA Cup

2023 Absa Cup
Tournament details
CountryZambia
Dates11 March – 25 April
Teams8
Defending championsNAPSA Stars
Final positions
ChampionsForest Rangers (1st title)
Runner-upMaestro United Zambia
Tournament statistics
Matches played6
Goals scored9 (1.5 per match)
Top goal scorer(s)Cephas Mulombwa (3 goals) (Forest Rangers)
← 2022
2024 →

The 2023 Absa Cup was the 16th edition of the annual knock-out competition in Zambian football contested by the top 6 teams from the Super League and the top 2 teams from the National Division One following the conclusion of match day 17 of the 2022–23 season.[1] It was also the 4th edition under the "Absa Cup" name following Absa's completed acquisition of the African assets and operations of Barclays in 2018.[2][3]

NAPSA Stars were defending champions after defeating Red Arrows 1–0 to win the previous edition's title.[4][5][6] but failed to qualify for this edition after finding themselves in 11th place in the standings mid-season.

The video assistant referee (VAR) was introduced to the competition and implemented on a pilot basis at this edition's final,[7] which was a first in Zambian football and Sub-Saharan African football as a whole and thus put Zambia on the list as the 3rd African country after Morocco and Egypt to introduce and implement VAR in domestic football matches.[8] Head of referees at FAZ, Aziph Banda, cited the inadequacy of FIFA-certified referees to operate it, with female referee Diana Chikotesha being the only exception having previously experienced its usage at the 2022 Women's Africa Cup of Nations and Janny Sikazwe having retired from professional refereeingas the reason why the association appointed foreign referees solely for that final,[9] which was won by Forest Rangers

  1. ^ "2023 ABSA Cup draw set for Wednesday". ZamFoot. 28 February 2023. Retrieved 3 March 2023. The eight teams involved in the 2023 Absa Cup comprise the top six clubs from MTN Super League and the top two FAZ National Division One clubs as of Week 17.
  2. ^ "Barclays Africa Group Relaunches as Absa Group with a Fresh New Look" (Press release). Absa. 1 March 2018. Archived from the original on 30 September 2020. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  3. ^ "Zambia : Barclays Bank Zambia PLC officially becomes Absa Bank Zambia PLC". Lusaka Times. 10 February 2020. Retrieved 7 March 2021.
  4. ^ "NAPSA Stars stun Red Arrows to win the ABSA Cup". ZamFoot. 30 April 2022. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
  5. ^ "Napsa deny Arrows double to win ABSA Cup". African Football. 30 April 2022. Retrieved 3 March 2023.
  6. ^ "Napsa Stars Win 2022 ABSA Cup". Africa Press. 2 May 2022. Retrieved 3 March 2023.
  7. ^ "VAR for the 2023 ABSA Cup final?". ZamFoot. 22 May 2023. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
  8. ^ Tutu, Arnold (27 May 2023). "VAR To Be Used During ABSA Cup Final". ZNBC. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
  9. ^ Chikenge, Calvin Kaumba (27 May 2023). "FAZ explains why the ABSA Cup final was not officiated by Zambians with VAR in use". Bolanews. Retrieved 31 May 2023.