Social football taking centre stage: Manja Emirates pip ESCOM
With TNM Super League teams technically on off-season, social football and junior leagues’ games are coming to the fore in most parts of the country.
During the past two weeks, Blantyre, for instance, has been bursting with friendly social football games as well as mini-tournaments.
In social games, several TNM Super League players such as Innocent Dzimbiri of Mighty Wanderers and Chimwemwe Nyakamera of AZAM Tigers have also been seen featuring probably to keep up their fitness ahead of the new season.
On Sunday the once popular ESCOM Ground was a harbor of football games- both social and competitive involving junior teams- that started as early as 8:30am.
In one of the friendly social games, ESCOM Powerhouse hosted Manja Emirates in a match that produced some class of masterwork.
Featuring their coach-player, former Flames, MDC United and ESCOM United defender, Macdonald ‘Nginde’ Mtetemera, as last man, Emirates were in a class of their own.
However, their rhythm shrink following some crazy lapses from their youthful goaltender, Frank Geoffrey, who let in three goals in a space of 17 minutes through Stein Chingaipe, Japhet Gombeza and Lester Phiri. Emirates scored one via Tobias Simengwa.
But came second half, Emirates were all over the field dictating the events and hammered four goals (to win 5-4) through Ben Flavor Kachingwe (two goal hero), Chimwemwe Nyakamera and Tamandani Matemba while ESCOM’s Alex Chikopa scored the only goal for the host in the second half.
