Kasungu Police on Wednesday beat Mlatho Mponela United 4-3 through post-match penalties to complete the Fisd Challenge Cup regional semi-finals list at Kasungu Stadium.
The Central Region Football Association (CRFA) Chipiku Premier League giants will meet Holy Cross Ambassadors at the same venue while Airborne Rangers will host Support Battalion in an all-Malawi Defence Force (MDF) affair on 26 September.
Regulation time ended 1-1 after Mlatho’s captain Duncan Mwale beat an offside trap to cancel the hosts’ first-half lead.
The host scored through Boniface Maliwata from the spot after Maulana Mustapha handled the ball.
During the penalties, Kasungu Police converted through Chikondi Mitengo, Maliwata, Saiti William and Paul Mbunge while goalkeeper Dailes Yassin saved Austin Kameza’s spot-kick.
Abudul Mpaya, Chiku Hussein and Vaily Kamodzi converted for the visitors whereas Mwale and Andy Tenthani missed their kicks.
Kasungu coach Laston Phiri was on cloud nine with the win.
“It was a tough game. We had a lot of chances in first-half, but the boys wasted them.We know the higher you go the tougher it becomes and beating the league leaders, will motive and encourage the boys to fight hard in the next game,”said Phiri.
His counterpart, Bothwell Saka had a positive eye to the defeat.
“We started with reserve players because we were preserving the main team for the league match against them. This was just part of our training we are focusing on our league championship. But am impressed with how the boys played. We could have won the game in the first-half but we squandered chances,” he said.
CRFA vice-general Antonio Manda was impressed with the standard of play and officiating panel of Jimmy Phiri, Elias Chikoleka and Samson Wasili.
“The teams showed that they are really giants. It was a top billing performance and officiation was good as well. It is my hope that this will flow to the league games,” he said. n
