The 2023 ABSA Cup final was an association football match played at Woodlands Stadium in Lusaka, Zambia on May 27, 2022.^[1] This highly anticipated match marked the debut appearance in the final for both Forest Rangers and Maestro United. The event was organized by the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) and represented the 17th final of the annual knock-out competition in Zambian football. The tournament involved six teams from the Super League and the top two teams from the National Division One, following the conclusion of match day 17 of the 2022–23 season. Notably, this final also marked the fourth occasion that the competition was held under the ABSA Cup name.^[2] The match stood out as a groundbreaking moment for Zambian football, as it became the first-ever competitive game in the country to feature video assistant referee (VAR) technology.^[3] This milestone not only marked Zambia's introduction to VAR but also established the nation as the pioneer of VAR implementation in Sub-Saharan Africa.^[4] Remarkably, Zambia joined the ranks of Morocco and Egypt as one of the only three African countries to successfully integrate VAR into their domestic matches.^[5]

Forest Rangers emerged victorious in the highly anticipated final, securing a notable 2-0 victory over the crowd's favourite, FC MUZA. The match saw Quadri Kola's goal and Chanda Chileshe's unfortunate own goal during the first half, which proved sufficient to secure the win for Forest Rangers.^[6]

Road to the final

Match

References