Nomads taste first defeat at Civo: Malawi TNM Super League

Civil Sporting staged a capital city coup de tat to dent TNM Super League leaders, Mighty Be Forward Wanderers’s impressive run after beating them 2-0 Saturday at Civo stadium in Lilongwe before a huge crowd.

Civil celebrate with their fans, Pic Alex Mwazalumo

The Capital City lads are the first team this season to destroy  top of form Wanderers’s unbeaten run which stretched to eight solid games.

The writing was on the wall When Zomba based Soldiers, Red Lions kissed Nomads net in Balaka on Sunday.

The Lali Lubani boys under rated the Lilongwe following their early exit in the Carlsberg Cup on Wednesday against Nyasa Bullets.

Two first half goals by towering striker, Fletcher Bandawe and Innocent Tanganyika were enough to stop the Nomads before packed stadium.

Civil’s striker Raphael Phiri’s connection from left back, Willard Dickson’s free kick was parried into touch by Nomads keeper, Richard Chipuwa.

Two minutes later, Bandawe could have put Civil into the lead but his his header went over cross bar when Phiri had deliver an inviting cross.

Wanderers’s midfielder of Alfred Manyozo and Joseph Kamwendo failed to control the game as they were losing a lot of ball and kept presurising their defence.

Bandawe put the Servants a head in the 26th minute when he received a through ball from Patrick Thupi and out paced Ted Sumani before beating Chipuwa in goals.

Three minutes to half time, Civil buried the game through Tanganyika when he hammered home Righteous Banda’s cross as Wanderers defenders Lucky Malata, Harry Nyirenda and Kaipa were caught napping.

The Servants were home and dry at interval with a 2-0 lead while Wanderers fans were still guessing as to what was happening to their team.

Wanderers Coach, Yasin Osman made a triple substitution by bring in Stanley Kaliati, Rafiq Namwera and Jabulani Linje for Kaipa, Mike Kaziputa and Felix Zulu correspondily at the start of the last half.

Referee Patrick Ngoleka missed to observed a minute of silence in honour of the late former Football Association of Malawi (FAM) President, Geoff Gondwe who passed on three days ago and this made him to observe it at the start of the second half.

False hope was given to Wanderers fans as their team seemed to have started playing an attacking football to reduce the arrears but Kamwendo and Manyozo were still failing to guide the team.

Kamwenda came out of the shell when his 25 metre drive was accidental fumbled by advancing Civil goalie, Tione Tembo for a corner kick in the 63rd minute.

Civil’s central defence paternership of Gomezgani Chirwa and Lawrence Chaziya stood firm and kept Yamikani Chester, Linje and Namwera at bay.

Civil’s Phiri planted home a third for his team but it was rule out in the 68 minutes when second assistant referee had raised his flag up for an off side.

The remaining minutes was a balanced affair but Wanderers failed to resurrect from the dead.

” Wanderers technical panel blundered in the choice of players for the first eleven. Why were they keeping good players on the bench.” Nomads fan, Davie Mphepo fumed after the game.

He said Wanderers lost the game in the first half and not idea on how to reverse the scores in the last half.

Civil Sporting diehard, Tendai Kabuluzi said it was sweet victory against Nomads and we have shown them that we are a changed side.

“This is a warn to other teams not to under rate us and more teams will pay dearly in the next fixtures,” he concluded.

 

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