Wanderers top the Malawi Super League first round, pockets K1mil from sponsors TNM

Mighty Be Forward Wanderers will head into second round top of the TNM Super League when on Sunday they settled for a goalless draw with second placed Silver Strikers at Bingu National Stadium in Area 48 Lilongwe as they look for their first league crown in years.

Wanderers have finished with 35 points from 15 games while Silver has closed the first round with 33 points.

Silver has maintained 100 per cent record of unbeaten run since the kick off of the season in April and is just trailing by two points to leaders Nomads.

The Lali Lubani boys have pocketed K 1 million Mpamba from TNM finishing top at the end of first round.

The Central Bankers have themselves to blame for being wasteful particularly in the first half where they played an attacking game unlike Wanderers.

Wanderers have six days to recover from the dismal performance if they are to offer a meaningful challenge to their rivals Nyasa Big Bullets in the Carlsberg final on September 9 at the same venue.

The Bankers showed their intention to open the score sheet three minute into play when captain Blessings Tembo’s shot was saved by Wanderers keeper Richard Chipuwa.

Five minutes later, Chipuwa was called to duty when parried away Mark Fodya’s curved free kick before striker Binwell Katinji’s 25 metre effort eluded busy keeper Chipuwa.

10 minutes to internal Silver’s centre forward out jumped Harry Nyirenda to nod it home but it was ruled out for an offside by referee Misheck Juwa.

Second half saw the tempo of the game going down as the two teams struggled to make up for a goal.

Wanderer’s Isaac Kaliati, Joseph Kamwendo and Peter Wadabwa failed to stamp up authority in the game and with the absence of Yamikani Chester they looked wanting.

Wanderer’s hit man,  Jafalie Chande nearly broke the deadlock in the 75th minute when his powerful shot from close range was well guarded by Silver goalie Brighton Munthali after was set free by Kaliati.

Late substitute for Nomads, Esau Kanyenda could have opened his first account of the season in the 84th minute but his effort was brilliantly tamed by goalie of the first round, Munthali.

Even four minutes were added the two teams never pressed to get the late winner as fans from both side were kept on their toes.

“I think Wanderers had planned for a draw and they never played attacking football. If they had planned for this then the mission has been accomplished,” a soccer follower from Mtsiliza, Maxwell Kaliza concluded after the game. 

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