SuperSport United coach Kaitano Tembo has hailed the debut of new Zambian signing Ghampani Lungu who played his first game in South Africa’s Premier Soccer League against Orlando Pirates at the weekend in the unusual right-back position.

The-20-year-old attacker, who joined from Power Dynamos, was pressed into defensive service after Grant Kekana picked up knock on the eve of the MTN8 quarter-final.

With Siyabonga Nhlapo and Jamie Webber already sidelined through injury, SuperSport were facing a crisis on the right side of defence and Lungu was asked to play at the back, leaving a favourable impression.

“There is still a lot to come from him. After we lost Grant in our pre- match preparation we didn’t have any other option but I could see that he (Lungu) was one boy who has got hunger and a desire to succeed and I knew that he would grab this opportunity, where ever he plays.

“He showed that against Pirates,” Tembo told reporters after SuperSport bundled the Buccaneers out of the MTN8 on post-match penalties on Saturday.

The quarter-final tie ended 2-2 after extra time with debutant Lungu on for the full two hours.

“I didn’t have any doubt in terms of his attitude. I knew that he would make mistakes here and there because it’s not his natural position but I’m really happy for him. I think he’s well grounded and he’ll improve with time as well, especially when he plays in his natural position.

“He’s quite a good goal scorer, he’s scores a lot of goals and that’s where we really want him to play. Against Pirates it was just stop gap cover but we really want him to play as a forward.”

Lungu came to prominence with 16 goals in the Zambian league last year with newly promoted National Assembly.

SuperSport had him on trials at the start of the year and signed him but then left him on loan at Power Dynamos before taking him to South Africa for pre-season and registering him for the new campaign.