Power Dynamos vs Nkana: The Kitwe Derby Guide for 31 October 2026

On Saturday 31 October 2026 at 15:00, Power Dynamos host Nkana FC at Arthur Davies Stadium in Ndola — the fixture generally described as the biggest game on the Zambian football calendar.

Fixture details

• Fixture: Power Dynamos vs Nkana FC
• Competition: MTN Super League 2026 Transition Season, Week 6
• Date: Saturday 31 October 2026
• Kick-off: 15:00 local time
• Venue: Arthur Davies Stadium, Ndola

Why this one is different

Power Dynamos and Nkana are the two clubs with the largest followings in Zambia's Copperbelt, and the derby was deliberately preserved in the league structure for commercial reasons. Both clubs carry historic supporter bases built on the copper mines of Ndola and Kitwe, and both draw crowds well beyond their home towns.

Nkana are the 13-time top-flight champions. Power Dynamos are the defending champions.

Why it is in Ndola, not Kitwe

This is the detail that catches first-time spectators. Despite the derby name, the match is being played at Arthur Davies Stadium in Ndola. Power abandoned their traditional Kitwe home grounds — Nkana and Arthur Davies venues — three seasons ago, citing safety and security concerns around capacity and crowd segregation in the tight confines of the Kitwe grounds.

Practical consequence for fans travelling from Lusaka or Livingstone: this is a Ndola trip. Budget for the extra distance rather than assuming a Kitwe trip.

The 2026 Transition Season format

The MTN Super League is running a transitional campaign from 3 October 2026 to mid-January 2027, split into two streams of ten clubs. The calendar was moved away from the traditional August-to-May window because of the rainy season, when rescheduled fixtures and replays disrupt a long league.

Streams A and B run in parallel. Power Dynamos and Nkana are both in Stream A, alongside Konkola Blades, NAPSA Stars, FC MUZA, Kansanshi Dynamos, Trident FC, Makeni All Stars, ZANACO and Nchanga Rangers.

Form going into the fixture

Power Dynamos opened their title defence away at Konkola Blades on 3 October and lost — the result they will want to reverse in their next home match. Nkana opened with a 1–0 win over newly promoted Trident FC at Sentinel Ground and followed it with a home fixture against Makeni All Stars.

Entering match week six, both sides have four matches of evidence. Expect the early-season picture to still be unstable — that is the nature of a two-stream transition season.

The wider derby week

The match sits in a busy Copperbelt week:

• 31 Oct: Power Dynamos vs Nkana, Arthur Davies Stadium
• 31 Oct: Nchanga Rangers vs FC MUZA, Nchanga Stadium
• 31 Oct: Kansanshi Dynamos vs NAPSA Stars, Independence Stadium, Solwezi
• 31 Oct: Trident FC vs ZANACO, Sentinel Ground
• 1 Nov: Makeni All Stars vs Konkola Blades, REIZ Arena

Planning your day

Arthur Davies Stadium is a short drive from Lusaka but a long haul from Kitwe. If you are coming from Lusaka, leave early — the T1 between Lusaka and Ndola congests badly in the afternoon, and a 15:00 kick-off with mid-afternoon rain is not a combination to gamble on.

Bring cash. Zambia's Super League grounds run largely on cash gate sales, and card machines are not reliable at the turnstiles.

Other matches in Lusaka this quarter

If you cannot get to Ndola, Stream B clubs play in Lusaka throughout October — ZANACO, Green Buffaloes, Nkwazi, Mutondo Stars and Chirundu United all host at Lusaka venues. Check the Zambia football fixtures on TicketTrails, and see our Zambia events calendar for the full quarter.