Nomads down KB to win inaugural Wafawafa Bonanza: Statement of intent ahead of Malawi season kickoff
Mighty Be Forward Wanderers FC sent a preseason to the rest of the Super League teams, when they hammered TNM Super League champions Kamuzu Barracks 2-0 to win the two-day Wafawafa Soccer Bonanza staged at the Bingu National Stadium on Saturday and Sunday.
The Nomads sailed through to the final after dismissing their bitter rivals Nyasa Big Bullets 1-0 on Saturday while the soldiers made their way into the final after edging central giants Silver Strikers by the same margin.
The final started on a rather poor note with the soldiers resorting to rough tackles but no-nonsense Lilongwe based Fifa referee Patrick Leo Ngoleka, who was making a come-back from a sixth-month suspension managed to control the emotions by booking two KB players within a space of 10 minutes.
The soldiers from army headquarters were to pay for their wrong approach as early as 18 minutes, when Mike Kaziputa squeezed a Francis Mlimbika corner-kick just a few centimetres across the goal-line for the Nomads first goal.
Half-time whistle caught the reigning Super League champions trailing 1-0 but the visitors were not yet done with them.
Upon the resumption, Wanderers’ mentor Yasin Osman, who had the luxury to bench six players that were on the starting line-up against Bullets the previous day introduced Josephy Kamwendo for Ernest Tambe before bringing in Peter Wadabwa and Jimmy Zakazaka for Precious Msosa and Mike Kaziputa.
KB also pulled out injured Ben Hojani for Komani Msiska but it were the visitors’ substitutions that bore fruits as Zakazaka engineered the second goal when his goal attempt was spilled by KB custodian Lehman Nthala into the path of in-form Ishmael Thindwa, whose first time connection ended into the net.
In a desperate attempt to rescue the sinking military ship, KB coach Billy Phambala pulled out his anchor men Davie Banda and Harvey Nkacha for Manase Chiesa and Steve Maloni but the Nomads were already home and dry.
The last 15 minutes of the game was played under floodlights as darkness crept in towards the end of the match, which started at 15.50hrs.
While contesting the Nomads’ first goal, Phambala conceded defeat after the whistle, saying the better team won: “I congratulate Be Forward Wanderers for their victory. They played well and deserved to win. If they continue playing like this, they will have a great season. As for my boys, they should not lose heart because the season has not started. We are going to rectify our mistakes before the new season begins,” said Phambala.
Osman praised his charges for another fine display: “Kamuzu Barracks were very physical but we managed to control them. If you are too physical, the price you pay is that you get tired easily,” said Osman, who has now made it three wins out of three in games played at the newly inaugurated Bingu National Stadium.
In the third-place play-off Nyasa Big Bullets defeated Silver Strikers 5-4 on post-match penalties after the teams had played a barren draw in regulation time.
Defender George Nyirenda scored the winning penalty for Bullets after Ghanaian striker Mike Mtsetse had put the Bankers’ last penalty kick away.
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