The Northern Region Football team, Baka City have been officially relegated from the TNM Super League after enduring a difficult campaign in their maiden season.
The Clever Boys’ departure from the elite league was confirmed on Sunday after Bangwe All Stars claimed a vital narrow 1-0 win over Moyale Barracks at Balaka Stadium.
Baka City have been relegated with five games to spare, the mathematics say that should they win their remaining games, they will have 23 points which is just one behind 13th-placed Bangwe All Stars who have 24 points from 26 games.
CHILEMBWE PROPELS BANGWE PAST MOYALE
Off the back of three draws from their last four league games, Bangwe All Stars would not be happy seeing themselves hanging in the danger zone with four games to play before wrapping up their campaign.
In an intense encounter, Trevor Kajawa’s side fought hard to hand the Lions of Kaning’ina their second defeat since August as Kondwani Chilembwe scored the only goal that handed them a 1-0 win at Balaka Stadium.
Moyale headed into the game at the back of two wins from their last three league games and they were out to get their first ever win over Bangwe All Stars, however, their attempts hit the rock as the Blantyre based side managed to ground their second win in the fixture and they remain unbeaten against Prichard Mwansa’s men (2W, 2D).
The first half saw Moyale Barracks assert dominance over Bangwe All Stars, leading in both possession and goal attempts. Key players like Chifumbo Damba and Charles Nkhoma orchestrated play in midfield, while Khumbo Mhone and Emmanuel Allan posed a constant threat in attack while Peter Ng’ambi and Black Aliseni, held firm in defense.
Kondwani Chilembwe of Bangwe made a notable attempt at a long-range shot, but the Moyale goalkeeper was alert, thwarting any chances of a first half breakthrough. The home side struggled in the absence of wing forwards Richard Rapson and Shukran Goba, who have been crucial to their recent performances.
As the second half commenced, the action intensified. In the 53rd minute, Bangwe was awarded a corner kick, which Moyale successfully defended. Bangwe’s players appealed for a penalty, claiming handball against Ng’ambi, but the referee saw the corner kick instead.
Bangwe continued to press for a goal, introducing Beston Jimu for Patrick Phiri, but the attacking momentum was still lacking. Kondwani Chilembwe stole the game in the 76 minutes when he finished off a Jimu well-crafted cross to put the game at 1-0 in favor of the home side.
In the 79th minute, Moyale made another substitution, bringing on Jimmy Viyuyi for Charles Nkhoma in search of an equalizer but it was too late too little. The match concluded with Bangwe All Stars defeating Moyale Barracks 1-0, despite Moyale displaying a spirited performance that ultimately fell short.
“Moyale is a good team, they played well in the first half but we told our boys to pull their socks in the second half and we played well. We did not have Rapson and Goba but I am just glad that their replaced fared up well enough. Howerver, we should not celebrate, we should wait till the games are finished,” Kajawa explained.
His counterpart, Prichard Mwansa conceded the defeat but complained of his team’s complacency in the attacking area, “we played well but failed to capitalize on the numerous chances that we created. We made one mistake and we got punished for that. It happens in football, we go back to the drawing board and rectify our shortcomings,” Mwansa said.
CIVIL COME FROM BEHIND TO FRUSTRATE FOMO
When Chitsanzo Phiri finished off the ball from Hassan Phiri deep inside the first half, fans at Mulanje Park Stadium thought that it was going to be Friends of Mulanje Orphans Football Club’s 6th home win.
It wasn’t meant to be, the Servants, Civil Service United stood up to the task and managed to respond with two goals, one in each half with Chifundo Ngapemba and Christopher Gototo scoring a goal each.
Hoping to lift themselves out of the danger zone, FOMO FC had a bright start to the game with Saidi scoring in the 21st minute but their celebration was short lived as the visitors found their way back into the game with Ngapemba who headed home Mathews Hamuza’s ball in the 26th minute.
Sharing the spoils in the first stanza gave both teams the zeal to get a goal in the second half and the hosts thought that they had scored just after the recess but it was ruled out for an infringement in the penalty area.
As the game was destined to a 1-all stalemate, Silver Strikers loanee, Christopher Gototo provided Civil Service United with a decisive moment when he pounced on a loose ball in the penalty area and forced his rebound into the back of the net.
Civil Service United have won four games from their last seven league matches, beating Moyale Barracks, Dedza Dynamos Football Club and Mzuzu City Hammers.
A win over FOMO FC days just after losing to CRECK Sporting Club excites Assistant Coach, Wilson Chidati who is anchoring the technical panel as Head Coach, Abbas Makawa was with the Malawi Women’s National Football Team at the just-ended Cosafa Cup Championship in South Africa.
“We knew that FOMO FC would come hard on us because of where they are on the log table, but the guys put efforts and managed to get the winner,” he said.
Elvis Kafoteka said it was a disappointing defeat saying it was a game in which they gave away cheap goals. “It was a game which we played well but we have been punished by our own mistakes.
“We have two games in hand but we will try to lift ourselves from the relegation zone. We should not concede goals like these but we have the next game, and we need to look into today’s performance,” he said.
Civil Service United are 5th with 38 points from 25 games while FOMO FC have dropped to the relegation zone with 22 points from 24 games.
HAMMERS ADD MISERY TO CHITIPA
Mzuzu City Hammers have leapfrogged FCB Nyasa Big Bullets to third position on the log table while at the same time denying Chitipa United the chance of getting relief as they are slumped to the bottom of the table.
The Iron Boys walked away with a 3-1 win at Karonga Stadium as they completed a double over the Chitipa-based Super League team. They were 1-0 winners in the reverse fixture at Mzuzu in July this year.
It was a game defined by lack of clear chances and each team scored a goal from the spot by the 52nd minute. The visitors hit the front with a penalty strike in the 27th minute through Chinonso Promise before Chimwemwe Chunga doubled the lead just before the break.
Ramadhan Ntafu gave Chitipa United an interest in the game when he converted from the spot in the 52nd minute but the hope of getting a point was dashed away Gregory Mwase who sealed the win in the 87th minute.
Kondwa Ikwanga said bagging three points was their main target when traveling to Karonga United. “We have reached 43 points, it’s a record breaking but we are still aiming higher,” he said.
“The approach of the game was bad; the effort was not there. It was a different game from the games which we have played. Had it been that we played like this against Mighty Mukuru Wanderers, we could have lost with more goals,” said Christopher Nyambose, Chitipa United Head Coach.
