Wanderers survive Creck scare to reach Airtel Top 8 semis

Mighty Wanderers survived an almighty scare on Sunday, riding out a spirited fightback from Creck Hardware Stars to advance to the semi-finals of the Airtel Top 8 tournament, despite going down 1-1 in Mchinji.

Wanderers had built a healthy cushion with a 2-0 win in the first leg back in Blantyre, but found themselves rattled when Creck struck first in the second leg, sending nerves jangling among the Nomads faithful.

The Cameroonian sparked scenes of pure delight when he beat goalkeeper Emmanuel Nyirenda with an audacious overhead kick from inside the box, hauling Wanderers level and easing the tension.

Speaking after the game, head coach Bob Mpinganjira praised his players for digging deep to avoid an embarrassing exit.

“We fought hard to avoid defeat. We are happy to reach the semi-finals,” he said.

Asked for his reaction to Silver Strikers’ shock elimination at the hands of Karonga United, Mpinganjira was cautious, insisting every team left in the competition would pose a serious threat at this stage.