Silver maintains grip on title as Blantyre Utd coach gives up: Malawi TNM Super League
Blantyre United head coach Elia Kananji on Sunday confessed his team’s dream of clinching the top flight 2012-13 TNM Super League title is virtually over, calling it mission impossible after a disappointing 0-5 defeat to defending champions Silver Strikers at Silver Stadium.
The win took Silver back on top of the log table 24 hours after being dislodged by Bullets F.C who on Saturday beat Civo 2-0.
Blantyre United needed to win at all cost to keep the dream of winning the title.
“We did not play our usual game and I don’t know what was wrong with my players today. They never performed and they did not follow the instructions,” said dejected Kananji.
“The loss has completely shuttered our dream of competing for the title but still more, we will work hard to finish at a better position,” Kananji added in his ‘concession speech’ to Nyasa Times.
“The league championship is now impossible,” he stressed.
The Bankers are in the driving seat with 54 points from 25 games. They just need six points to retain the title for the third consecutive year. Big Bullets are second on 52 points from 26 games while Blantyre United remain third on 48 points from a similar number of games. Silver’s maximum tally is 63 points while Bullets and Blantyre can only get as far as 54 and 58 points, respectively.
The game
Rodrick Gonani opened the goals galore 12 minutes into the match following a nice interchanging of passes between Ndaziona Chatsalira, Harvey Mkacha and Frank Banda who set the ball for Gonani.
Gonani put his name on the score sheet again when he beat two Blantyre United defenders before rounding keeper Carlington Misomali to put the ball in an empty net.
First half ended 2-0 in favour of Strikers.
After recess Blantyre United tried to re-organise themselves to play their usual one touch football but they were frustrated by Silver defender Lucky Malata who stood to the ground the entire 90 minutes defending jealously.
Silver woke up in the 59th minute when Nkacha set up Frank Banda to score the third goal of the day.
Banda produced a brilliant left footed shot that hit the crossbar before kissing the back of the net.
A minute later Gonani scored the fourth goal to complete his hat trick.
With only one minute to full time, Frank Banda scored his second goal of the day from a substitute Peter Pindani’s corner kick.
Blantyre United looked a completely dejected side with only Maxwell Chirwa and Abraham Kamwendo showing some flashes.
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