Kamuzu Barracks add to Chitipa Utd relegation woes: Malawi TNM Super League
TNM Defending Champions, Kamuzu Barracks Monday had to dig deep to earn a 4-2 victory over travelling Chitipa United in the second encounter of the Super League played at Civo Stadium in Area 9, Lilongwe.
Relegation bound, Chitipa boys returned home empty handed following another defeat on Sunday against third placed, Silver Strikers 3-0 and they are rooted on the bottom with 16 points from 27 games.
Kamuzu Barracks is still on position eight with 34 points from 24 games and had to work extra hard to avoid a second defeat in a row following last Monday beating at the hands of Mafco 3-1.
Harvey Mkacha nearly put Kamuzu Barracks in the lead in the ninth minute but he was denied when Chitipa defender, Hardy Ng’anda cleared the ball on the goal line.
Mkacha was again in the limelight five minutes later when he managed to elude Chitipa keeper, Jeremiah Simfukwe but his effort hit the upright.
Chitipa’s Enock Alfred broke through on the left flank in the 26th minute and penentrated into the D-zone but he was betrayed by his week shot which went straight into the palms of Kamuzu Barracks goalie, Amadu Ali.
Referee Brighton Gwiricho awarded Kamuzu Barracks a penalty three minutes later when Chitipa’s defender, Peter Mughogho had handled the ball in the penalty box. Manase Chiyesa made no mistake to put his team into the lead.
And 10 minutes later, Chitipa United was awarded a penalty when Kamuzu Barrack’s defender, World Nkuliwa was adjudged to have handled the ball in the penalty box by referee Gwiricho.
Chitipa’s Alfred smartly planted the spot kick to level the scores.
One minute into added time, Chitipa went into a driving seat when Nkhuliwa’s back pass was intercepted by on coming Ndaona Kapira before eluding advancing goalie Ali.
Chitipa players walk tall to the dressing room at break as they a lead in their name.
Kamuzu Barrack’s borrowed Silver’s tactics they implored in their Sunday game against Chitipa, they also made a double substitution in the 53rd minute. They introduced Kakaka Hanganda and Sammy Chiponda for Komani Msiska and Nkuliwa, the move that produced desired result while Chitipa rested Emmanuel Muyira for Clement Mwalwanda.
Substitute Hanganda cancelled Chitipa’s lead in the 69th minute when he connected home Diouf Simaone’s cross from left flank of the southern goal.
In the 73rd minute Kamuzu Barrack’s Zinjani Yona powered home his team when he tapped in Chiponda’s inviting cross to make it 3-2.
At dot of full time Kamuzu Barrack’s Simaone stretched the lead to 4-2 when he planted home a loose ball after Keeper Simfukwe had misjudged the on coming cross by Chiponda on the right flank.
Chitipa Keeper Simfukwe was later stretched off after he had collided with Substitute Wonderful Timeyo who had came in for Yona and was replaced by Lloyd Munthali.
” Technically Chitipa United has lost the two games in Lilongwe for failing to contain second half substitution the two teams made when they played them,” former Works Dynamos player, Shawu Munde observed.
He said all the winning goals have come from the double substitutions Silver and Kamuzu Barracks made but their play was generally impressive.
“We had to talk to the player at half. We wasted a lot chances in the first half and we piled unnecessary pressure to ourself when they went into the lead,” Kamuzu Barracks fan John Namizinga said.
He pointed out that the players responded positively in the second half and played according to instructions.
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