Wanderers back to winning ways, pip Chikhwawa 3-0: Malawi TNM Super League
Straight from four consecutive losses, Mighty Wanderers Football Club on Saturday 14t June 2014 had a relief after they put up a spirited and impressive performance beating rookies Chikhwawa United in a TNM Super League match played at the Balaka Stadium.
Having lost to Civo United, Blue Eagles, Red Lions and rivals Bullets F.C respectively in their previous four games, from the word go the Nomads looked very composed and up for business.
The Nomads launched counter attacks wave after wave but lacked killer punch up front where they featured Diverson Chilemba and Innocent Dzimbili while their opponents struggled to settle down.
Peter Mselema, Kondwani Lufeyo and Francis Mlimbika manned the defence.
Chikhwawa had their best chance of almost the entire game in the 17th minute when striker Ian Banda was completely left alone in the box but his beautiful hard and low shot was sensationally served by Nomad’s goalkeeper Richard Chipuwa who had little work to do during the day.
In the 22nd minute, the blues were denied a scoring opportunity when they had the ball cleared off the line following a goal mouth scramble.
A happy moment finally came in the 41st minute when Cuthbert Sinetre scored the opening goal through a thunderbolt inside the box after some nice foot work from Mike Kaziputa who maneuvered through a forest of defenders.
The Nomads were forced to make their first substitution bringing in Felix Kamwendo for injured Chilemba who was knocked by a Chikhwawa player.
In the second half, the Nomads continued from where they had left in the first half but failed to find a scoring pattern due to lack of power in some departments including on the right wing where they featured Sparrow Msowoya whose form was below average.
The Nomads brought in Kondwani Kumwenda and Victor Mpinganjira whose introduction indeed made a difference.
Sinetre sealed his brace in the 79th minute when he scored from the spot after substitute Kondwani Kumwenda was brought down by a
Chikhwawa defender.
As the Nomads supporters thought everything was over, Jacob Ngwira added the icing on the cake when he headed in the last goal of the match in the 84th minute.
It was indeed a sweet victory for Coach Gerald Phiri and his backroom staff who have been showered with accusations since they lost to their traditional rivals Bullets 2-0 last Sunday.
“We needed to have this performance,” Phiri acknowledged. “We needed to win, we did this and I hope the bad moment is finished. This is indeed a relief to us .”.
“We are not yet there we are very far but I cannot say much I just thank God for the win” he said in an interview with Nyasa Times.
He finally thanked supporters who gave their team vocal support despite the challenges they have been going through.
Chikhwawa Caretaker coach Thom Nkolongo attributed the loss to fatigue.
“It was my first game to see how the team plays while playing away and I have noticed few things. The other contributing factor could be fatigue since we travelled from a long distance and the boys had little time to rest” Nkolongo said.
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