Bullets maintain pressure on Nomads
Bitter rivals Be Forward Wanderers and Nyasa Big Bullets continued pressurising each other in their bid to win the TNM Super League title as they both won their games yesterday.
Wanderers came from behind to narrowly beat rejuvenated Dwangwa United 3-2 at Balaka Stadium while Bullets laboured to a 2-1 win over Mafco at Chitowe Stadium in Dwangwa, Nkhotakota.
The results mean that the two teams continue to occupy the top two slots on the league’s log table and are separated by just a point.
Wanderers are at the summit with 62 points from 27 games while, after collecting 61 points from 28 matches, Bullets lie second in the 16- team league.
Both teams went into their respective matches on the back of 1-1 draws against Silver Strikers and Civil Sporting Club and were under pressure to collect maximum points.
At Balaka, Wanderers struggled in the opening minutes of the game as Dwangwa took an eighth minute lead through Hassan Upindi.
Jafali Chande levelled the scores 20 minutes later before Isaac Kaliati put the Nomads in front in the 32nd minute with an audacious shot.
Wanderers’ goal party continued with captain Joseph Kamwendo stretching the lead to 3-2, before Upindi came back to haunt the Nomads with Dwangwa’s second strike as action neared half time.
The second half produced no goals despite Wanderers dominating play after introducing Ted Sumani, Peter Wadabwa and Yamikani Chester for Bongani Kaipa, Essau Kanyenda and Stanley Sanudi, respectively.
Dwangwa also introduced defender Christopher Gunda for Chisomo Kamwani.
Wanderers Head Coach, Yasin Osman, said his charges could have done better in stopping their opponents from scoring their two goals.
“My boys played under intense pressure considering that we have Bullets close behind us. But the title is for us to lose. It will be bad if we let it slip through our fingers. We have to continue believing in ourselves,” Osman said.
Dwangwa Team Manager, Dave Mwandira, said, despite the loss, his players performed well throughout the match.
“We would have won the match today, but maybe my players were jittery somehow because of the big names they faced. Otherwise, it was a good match with fair officiating,” Mwandira said.
At Chitowe, Bullets were the first to score through Bright Munthali before Zikani Sichinga equalised to end the first half at 1-1.
The People’s Team netted the winning goal through Fisher Kondowe’s spot kick to collect full points and keep Wanderers waiting for their first league title in more than a decade.
Bullets’ Head Coach, Rodgers Yasin, described the match as tough but commended his charges for maintaining their discipline which enabled them to win the match.
In another match played yesterday, Kamuzu Barracks (KB) were 2-1 winners over Azam Tigers at Chilomoni Stadium in Blantyre.
Mude Jeffrey scored both goals for KB while Bonda Mpinganjira got Tigers’ face saver.
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