Flames deputy coach Jack Chamangwana has hailed the scoring form of Malawi’s South Africa-based contingent led by Robert Ng’ambi who opened his 2014 scoring account for Platinum Stars on Tuesday night.
Ng’ambi netted in Platinum Stars’ 2-2 draw with Esau Kanyenda’s Polokwane City at the Peter Mokaba Stadium to become the highest scoring Malawian in South Africa’s Absa Premiership on five goals from 15 matches.
“If midfielders and strikers have the confidence to score, it means they can take that form to the national team. This augurs well with our aim to go for only foreign-based players that are active at club level. We do not want to deny local players who are 100 percent match fit opportunities,” Chamangwana said.
Ng’ambi is now ahead of Atusaye Nyondo and Esau Kanyenda, who have four league goals each.
Another Malawian export Gabadinho Mhango has three league goals and four in all competitions. Mhango scoredon Saturday when his Bloemfontein Celtic met Free State Stars. Kaizer Chiefs’ Bernard Parker lead on eight league goals from 16 matches.
“The game was okay. I created the second goal before Robert scored and they [Stars] eventually got an equaliser. It was not a bad outing for us since it was our first official game this year,” Kanyenda told The Nation yesterday through e-mail.
Monitored on SuperSport Channel 5, Ng’ambi pulled one back for Stars with a close-range header at the back post late in the opening half for the seventh-placed Stars.
“R.Ng’ambi..Chiefs material. Katsande P Stars material,” a fan wrote on www.kickoff.com on Wednesday.
City, who are now placed 13th, raced to a two-goal lead through Puleng Tlolane’s brace, with Kanyenda creating one of goals before being replaced on the 78th minute. Stars pulled level through Tintswalo Shabalala in the last stages of the game.
