Silver Strikers and Mighty Mukuru Wanderers have stepped up their efforts to compete for the 2024 TNM Super League Championship after returning to winning ways in their respective midweek fixtures, while holders FCB Nyasa Big Bullets stumbled.
The Central Bankers, who are leading the race, defeated Mzuzu City Hammers 2-0 in Mzuzu, while Mighty Mukuru Wanderers came from behind to beat Chitipa United in Karonga, and FCB Nyasa Big Bullets had to fight back to earn a late point against Premierbet Dedza Dynamos at Kamuzu Stadium.
Peter Mponda’s team maintains a seven-point gap over second-placed Meke Mwase’s team after accumulating 54 points from 24 games, and the Nomads have 47 points from the same number of outings, while Kalisto Pasuwa’ side is third on the table with 41 points, 13 behind the leaders.
TWO SILVER BULLETS MALLEABLE HAMMERS
Peter Mponda was a happy man after his team forced a 2-0 win over Mzuzu City Hammers on Wednesday at Mzuzu Stadium to extend their unbeaten run to 33 games, connecting from last season.
The Central Bankers are flying higher as their last defeat in the TNM Super League can be dated back to September last year when Dedza Dynamos Football Club pulled a shocker at Champion Stadium.
Heading into their intriguing encounter against Hammers off the back of three back-to-back draws against Bangwe All Stars, CRECK Sporting Club and Civil Service United, and grinding a win was a must for Silver Strikers to keep their distance from Wanderers wider.
“I’m very happy with the result not with the play,” said Peter Mponda. “We didn’t play the way we wanted to play. We said, we have drawn so many games, let’s try to force this game. In the first half, we tried but it didn’t work. We created one or two chances but in the second half, we created so many chances and the score lines would have been different but we are happy with the results.
“We are happy the way things are going, the resilient of the boys is keeping us going and our unbeaten streak. There were some games which we could have lost, we fought back from 2-0, the other game we were trailing 1-0, we fought back. We are happy with where we are.”
Mzuzu City Hammers missed the chance to leapfrog FCB Nyasa Big Bullets to the third place as they remain 4th. Kondwa Ikwanga said his charges lost concentration in the game.
“It was a very difficult game,” he said. “I’m failing to understand in the sense that we held them. Not really holding them, the problem is when we were coming in the second half, we played with the outside world, we failed to concentrate.
“Silver Strikers are a little bit advanced technically, they were holding us, they have experienced players and they were knowing what we wanted to do, but anyway, for us, it was a plus for us. We have seen ourselves that we can attack through the wings, through the middle, we can hold the ball.”
After ringing seven changes from his team that started against Civil, Silver Strikers were trying to force things but they had to wait until in the 60th minute when they broke the deadlock when Chinsisi Maonga gave them the lead after Chikumbutso Henderson failed to clear the ball. The game was over in the 80th minute when Mark Fodya doubled the lead after receiving a good ball from Uchizi Vunga to give Silver Strikers their fourth straight win over the Iron Boys.
Silver Strikers will shift their attention to Top 8 football as they face Mighty Mukuru Wanderers this weekend while Hammers are on the road to Karonga to play against Chitipa United.
WANDERERS COME FROM BEHIND TO BEAT CHITIPA
It looked ugly to the Nomads when the hosts stabbed first but keeping their momentum was a key for them to return home with all the points from Karonga Stadium against Chitipa United.
With Chitipa United hunting for maximum points to book for their third consecutive season in the elite league, Mighty Mukuru Wanderers did not find it easy to recover from their recent setbacks, but they managed to respond with two goals and bag maximum points and remind the leaders, Silver Strikers that the race is not over until it is over.
“After conceding, the players fought back after making some changes. We needed this win for us to remain in the race of course we have a long way to go but we still have some games. We are playing so many games away, but we are going to encourage our players to continue fighting,” said Meke Mwase.
Christopher Nyambose, Head Coach for Chitipa United said it was a very painful defeat saying they conceded two silly goals.
“Mighty Mukuru Wanderers were going to die this game, we were leading, we were in control of the game but it was a bad day for the goal-keeper. He is just learning, we are grooming him, we can’t blame him.
“Instead of us going forward, we are just a standstill team, we have six games to play and that’s 18 points, we have to concentrate and collect points for us to survive,” said Nyambose.
After two back-to-back defeats to Karonga United and FCB Nyasa Big Bullets, Meke Mwase wanted to have an attacking team thereby employing a 3-5-2 formation while Nyambose was looking for a win as he is eager to take his team out of the bottom three.
The game produced no goals in the first half but the hosts scored early in the second half when Rajab Nyirenda pounced on Jackson Beza’s ball to beat Richard Chipuwa who started the game for first time since 8 weeks ago.
However, Mighty Mukuru Wanderers showed interest in the game when Gaddie Chirwa saw the goal-minder off his line and he directed his strike into the net before Wisdom Mpinganjira won it late in the game.
The Nomads are taking on Silver Strikers in the semi-finals of the Top 8 Football while Chitipa United are welcoming Mzuzu City Hammers at home in their next assignment.
GAMPHANI RESCUES POINT FOR BULLETS
Lameck Gamphani denied his former team their first ever away win this season when he scored later at Kamuzu Stadium when FCB Nyasa Big Bullets and Premier Bet Dedza Dynamos Football Club shared a point each in an electrifying encounter.
Former Wanderers and Bvumbwe Research midfielder, Ibrahim Sadik scored for Dedza just a moment after coming off the back but Lameck Gamphani scored in stoppage time for Bullets to rescue a point but they dropped two points to slim their chances of defending the league.
“Complacency crippled our minds, remember, we are coming from a derby where we won. The derby was played and was finished but you could see the body language, fortunately, we created some chances but we couldn’t take them, our opposition got one and they scored. We tried to make some changes to force a goal and we found it later in the game,” said Kalisto Pasuwa.
On his part, Andrew Bunya, Coach for Dedza Dynamos said it was a tough game and the red card which they got late in the game affected them.
“After being reduced, we started playing deeper, allowing the hosts to equalize. We managed to contain Bullets, we made all possible ways so that they should not get a goal but unfortunately, as conceded,” he said.
After winning four of their last five league matches, Bullets were hoping to get their fifth win and second straight win as they were coming from a 2-1 win over their neighbors, Mighty Mukuru Wanderers but it was a tough game for both teams.
Dedza Dynamos were coming from two back-to-back draws against Mafco FC and Chitipa United and getting a win against Bullets was their ultimate goal as they looked lively from the word go.
Marco Chiwaya danced past Bullets’ defenders before unleashing an effort which was pushed away by Richard Chimbamba but the hosts responded with swift attacks and they were awarded with a penalty in the 25th minute but Babatunde Adepoju saw his effort being denied by Donnex Mwakasinga who was also named Player of the Match.
After a barren stalemate in the first half, both teams were out to hunt for a goal and they made changes but it was the visitors who forged ahead in the 65th minute through Sadik but Gamphani cancelled it late.
FCB Nyasa Big Bullets will be shifting their attention to Top 8 Cup semi-final against Kamuzu Barracks while Dedza Dynamos are having a break this weekend. Dedza Dynamos have collected 30 points from 25 games and they are 11th.
