Eagles, Mafco battle ended in a balance affair
The first time of asking within five weeks, Blue Eagles and Mafco Saturday settled for a one-all draw in the TNM Super League encounter played at Nankhaka stadium,
The two teams produced their goals in the first opening 18 minutes of the game with the visitors scoring first before home team came from behind to cancel the led.
The draw still favours Area 30 Nkhwazi as they have an upper hand over the Salima based soldiers owing to their 1-0 home win and managed to pull 0-0 draw away in Chitowe the return leg of the cup tie.
Blue Eagles are now 11 points from seven games and are sixth on the log table while Mafco are 13th with six points from six games.
Mafco have an away Sunday tussle in Dedza against 15th placed with four points, Master Security who registered their ever win of the season as they hammered Dwangwa United 4-1 at their own backyard, Chitowe ground.
Eagles striker, Maxwell Salambula nearly put his team in the lead just a minute into play when his effort was saved by Mafco’s stopper, Chilondi Maloya.
Thirty second later, Mafco’s Joseph Donsa opened the floodgates when he slotted home Bernard Harawa’s cross after dribbling past Jacob Robert on the right flank eluding Eagles goalkeeper, John Soko.
Mafco went off the hook a minute later when Eagles responded with an attack where Rudo Magombo’s goal bound shot was cleared on the goal line by Zikhale Nguluwe.
Eagles centre forward, Bestone Jimu levelled the scores in the 18th minute when he was put through by Gabriel Chirwa and he beat on coming Mafco goalie, Maloya before planting it home.
Seven minutes later, Eagle’s Chirwa blasted the ball over from the edge of the penalty box when he was set by Salambula.
The dangerous and composed looking Eagles scorer, Jimu had his 25 metre drive brilliantly saved by Mafco’s goal minder, Maloya.h
The teams rushed to the dressing room with bright faces as both had slotted the ball into the empty net.
Both team made substitions in the last half, Eagles brought in Micium Mhone, John Malidadi for Magombo and Salambula while Mafco pushed in Moza Masoatheka and Pupa Mkagula for Emmanuel Chipeta and Donsa.
Eagles substitute, Malidadi set Jimu in the 77th minute but his thunderbolt was tamed by ever alert, Mafco custodian, Maloya.
With eight minute to regulation time, Eagles striker, Malidadi could have buried the game and collect maximum points but his effort went wide at the mercy of Keeper, Maloya.
Blue Eagles coach, Del Klerk Msakakuona admitted that Mafco gave them a tough game owing to the fact that they were playing them for the third time within two months.
” Am happy that we managed to collect a point after coming from behind. This is a good result and we are hoping to push for more points in the next games,” he added.
” We were in top gear and we managed to get an early goal this time around. We failed to defend our lead due to miscommunication between our defender and goalkeeper,” Mafco Coach, Mike Kumanga explained.
He described the draw as a fair result owing that they have managed to get a bonus point away from home.
In other TNM results Karonga United hold League leaders, Nyasa Big Bullets to a goalless draw while in Kasungu, TV Stars has claimed a third casualty after they hammered third placed, Civil Sporting 5-1.In Mulanje, Azam Tigers had to come from behind to force a 3-3 draw against Dwangwa United while Mzuni have suffered 0-2 defeat at home against Kamuzu Barracks.
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