Malawi Super League: Lions suffer first defeat
Twenty four hours after Moyale Barracks bowed down to Big Bullets in the grand finale for the Presidential Football Cup at Civo Stadium in Lilongwe, two more military casualties surfaced on Sunday, September 2, 2012 as Red Lions and Mafco dropped valuable points in the ongoing TNM Super League.
The marauding Lions of Zomba suffered their first defeat in the league after losing 3-0 against unpredictable Blue Eagles at Balaka Stadium while Mafco laid down their arms at Silver Stadium, falling 5-0 at the hands of Silver Strikers.
Blue Eagle’s Elia Kabingu, Ben Hojan and Charles Ngosi were the men on target as the cops from Area 30 put a dent on the soldiers’ unbeaten record.
At Silver, experienced striker Rodrick Gonani led the onslaught, scoring the first goal in the 11th minute after intercepting a back pass from Mafco defender Paul Njobvu.
The visiting soldiers from Samila suffered a body blow on 18 minutes when their skipper Zasha Mnong’onezya was red-carded by referee Duncan Lengani after a crude tackle on Jester Mulima. Many, however, felt the referee could have booked the Mafco captain.
Two minutes after the red-card incident, the bankers were two up – courtesy of Green Harawa, who rammed home a rebound from a Ndaziona Chilemba shot fumbled by Mafco goalkeeper Dyson Isaac.
Eight minutes after pep-talk, Harvey Nkacha headed in the third goal for Silver from a corner kick taken by Mulima.
Gonani was on target again 12 minutes to full time and man-of-the-match Nkacha claimed the fifth goal in the 82nd minute after rounding off the goalkeeper.
Commenting after the game, Silver coach Thom Nkorongo said he was happy to finish the first round on a high note.
“It has been a long time since Silver Strikers finished the first round in the top two and we have a chance of winning the first round depending on how Red Lions perform in their remaining two first round games,” said Nkorongo.
His counterpart Stereo Gondwe blamed the result on poor officiation, saying his charges would have put up a better fight had the officiating personnel been fair.
With the victory, the bankers have finished the round on 31 points from 14 games and can win the first round of Red Lions drop at least two points in their last two fixtures against Moyale Barracks in Mzuzu and Mafco at Chitowe in Dwangwa.
The Lions are on second position with 27 points from 12 games.
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