Nomads’ silverware

Staff Reporter

This was the stuff of footballing fantasy. Be Forward Wanderers turned on a vintage second-half display to come from a goal down to beat Silver Strikers 3-2 and reclaim the Fisd Challenge Cup which they failed to defend last year.

A goal down at the interval, the Nomads roared back like some unstoppable force of nature to complete their revival in a classic contest  at Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe.

It was a perfest Christmas gift and season finale for the Nomads who were in danger of finishing the season without any silverware.

They will cart home the K16 million winners purse—the highest on the domestic scene—while the Bankers finish the season with nothing.

As the Nomads showed off the glittering cup and gold medals from the podium, sadly, the Bankers trooped off with their heads downcast in disappointment and, going by their name, only had silver medals hanging around their necks.

Revived and remoulded forward Zicco Mkanda was the centrepiece of the Nomads victory after claiming a brace, but crucial was Yamikani Chester’s winner as the two teams were tied two-all with 11 minutes to full time.

The Central Bankers drew first blood in the 28th minute with a beauty. Khuda Muyaba found Michael Tetteh with a pass that oozed class just outside the six-yard box and, with the Nomads defence caught flat-footed, the Ghanaian did the rest to perfection with a superb strike that gave Nomads’ ‘keeper Nenani Juwaya no chance.

Precisely, the pep talk that was delivered by Nomads coach Bob Mpinganjira at half time, remains in the classified category, but suddenly there was renewed purpose in their play.

Mkanda equalised in the 50th minute with a classic finish  from a Mike Kaziputa pass.

Buoyed by that goal, the Nomads wanted more and they threw in their gifted veteran midfielder Joseph Kamwendo for Kaziputa and barely a minute after his introduction, before he could get the feel of the action, he was the architect of the second goal two minutes later.

A free-kick which Kamwendo floated with precision found Mkanda who swung up-field to head the ball home.

But the Central Bankers were not done yet and their ‘sniper’ Victor ‘Vibre’ Limbani levelled the scores in the 67th minute  when he headed past  Juwaya from a Mark Fodya cross.

The Nomads struck the winner in the 77th minute via Chester.

 Mpinganjira hailed the fighting spirit of his charges, saying: “It was a very tough game befitting a final and I want to thank my players for fighting all the way.

“We struggled in the first half, but after the half-time pep-talk, we were a reorganised side.”

His Silver counterpart Lovemore Fazili, painfully accepted defeat, saying: “We conceded silly goals and that has been very painful. It was a game which we could have won had we defended well and utilised all our chances.” n