Ekhaya FC have shattered Standard Bank Blue Eagles’ hopes of climbing to the summit of the FDH Bank Premiership after securing a 2-1 victory at Mpira Stadium in Chiwembe, Blantyre.
John Francis Mchema scored in each half to complete a brace for the Cowboys, while substitute Pius Saka netted a consolation goal for the visitors.
Mchema opened the scoring in the 21st minute, finishing off an assist from Blessings Malinda to give the hosts a deserved lead at the break. Eagles returned from the interval with renewed intent and introduced Saka, who made an immediate impact by levelling matters in the 61st minute with a fine volley from outside the box after capitalising on a defensive lapse.
However, Ekhaya restored their advantage in the 70th minute when Mchema completed his brace, assisted by Samuel Rukura Khedira.
Mchema earned the Player of the Match accolade.
The encounter also saw Eagles’ Davie Phiri booked in the 26th minute for a foul on Wongani Kaponya, before Ekhaya’s Charles Mafaiti received a yellow card in the 43rd minute.
Ekhaya interim head coach Fundi Akidu said the team would put the result behind them and focus on securing positive outcomes in their upcoming fixtures.
“We will not dwell on today’s result. Our sights are set on trying to get positive results in the next matches so that we can put ourselves in a better position,” said Akidu, who also praised Mchema’s performance and expressed optimism about the striker’s future.
Meanwhile, Eagles head coach Deklerk Msakakuona remained confident that his side could return to the top of the table, admitting that missed chances had cost them.
“We managed to get chances which we did not convert, and that’s football. You get penalised for not using the chances,” he said.
“We have lost, but I respect God’s time. It was not our day. We will go back to the drawing board and prepare for the next games. We have a lot more games to play; we will bounce back.”
The victory lifts Ekhaya to fifth place with 25 points, while Blue Eagles remain third with 34 points. Both sides have played 18 matches, with Ekhaya recording six wins, seven draws and five defeats, while Eagles have registered 11 wins, one draw and six losses.
