Silver out; Bullets, eagles march on
Mafco FC, Nyasa Big Bullets and Blue Eagles on Wednesday October 11 2017 winged into the Fisd Challenge Cup last 16 after successful campaigns in round one.
Salima-based Mafco stunned Silver Strikers 3-2 at Silver Stadium in Lilongwe on a humid Wednesday afternoon.
The hosts had a bad day at work as they lost possession needlessly and were second on the ball.
They were punished by an aggressive opponent in the 15th minute when Emmanuel Chipeta shot past an outstretched Blessings Kameza in Silver goal.
Mafco doubled the lead five minutes later Ranken Mwale hit a rebound from a blocked free-kick.
Mwale was moments later shown a red card after a deliberate handball.
But though one-man down, the Malawi Defence Force (MDF) side, Mafco, stunned Silver with a third goal two minutes into the second-half when Zikhole Ngulube curled a beautiful free-kick into the roof of the net.
The hosts replied a minute later through Victor Limbani.
Substitute Ronald Pangani, who had replaced Green Harawa, restored some hope when he scored Silver’s second but Mafco held on to the lead.
Mafco assistant coach Gift Kadam’manja, though happy that his side had progressed, faulted the referee for messing up the game.
“We could have won easily, but the referee made things difficult for us,” he said.
Silver’s Fazili shunned the media after the final whistle.
In Dwangwa, Nkhotakota, Nyasa Big Bullets stormed into the last 16 after walloping hosts Dwangwa United 4-1 at Chitowe Stadium.
Bullets were on target as early as the fourth minute when Emmanuel Zoya headed in the opener.
Muhammad Sulumba doubled the lead in the 42nd minute for the first-half to end 2-0.
Chiukepo Msowoya made it 3-0 four minutes into the second-half.
But Dwangwa pulled one back through substitute Grecian Chinkhande, giving the hosts’ supporters hopes of a comeback that never came.
Bullets wrapped up the day with a Mike Mkwate strike in the 90th minute.
Dwangwa team manager Dave Mwandira blamed the loss on poor goal-keeping.
“We conceded silly goals. Our goalkeeper did not help us,” he said.
Bullets team manager James Chilapondwa said despite winning, the game was tough.
“It might seem like it was a simple game because we have won, but it wasn’t,” he said.
At Nankhaka, Blue Eagles easily beat Chitipa United 4-1.
The hosts were up 3-0 before half-time, thanks to goals from Stuart Mbunge, Maxwell Salambula and Vitumbiko Kumwenda.
Salambula rounded up the scores for Eagles in the second half while Abel Mwakilama netted Chitipa’s consolation.
Eagles coach Audlow Makonyola said he was pleased with his players’ performance.
