Tigers, Mafco, Eagles battle Airtel survival

Azam Tigers, Mafco and Blue Eagles face Airtel Top 8 elimination this afternoon unless they defeat Be Forward Wanderers, Moyale and Kamuzu Barracks (KB) respectively, in a way that blows the mind, stuns and inspires spectators in equal measure and leaves their coaches in disbelief.

Tigers lost to Nomads 2-0 last Sunday and need a three-goal margin victory in the return leg at Kalulu Stadium, Nchalo—in the usually torridly hot Chikwawa—to reach the semi-finals and with it a giant step closer to the K15 million grand prize.

At Nankhaka Stadium, Eagles will be seeking to offset a 4-2 loss to KB. The Malawi Police Service (MPS) side’s ray of hope, most assuredly, stems from its two away goals. A 2-0 margin win over their visitors will be enough.

In Mzuzu, Mafco must beat Moyale by a three-goal margin to progress to the semi-finals having lost to their fellow soldiers 2-0 in the first leg.

But despite having an upper hand, teams that are leading have vowed not to relax; it is a spirit that will make the matches more exciting.

Said Wanderers assistant coach Bob Mpinganjira: “We are not being carried away by the first leg victory. If we are to reach the next round, we will have to defend solidly and attack wisely.”

The Nomads have suffered an early season setback after seeing their key strikers Peter Wadabwa and Ishmael Thindwa suffer injuries. However, the duo has been on the path to recovery.

Mpinganjira stated that they were still being monitored but was coy to confirm if they are in line to feature during the match. If the strikers do not make the much-anticipated comeback then the Nomads still have enough missiles to attack; Jaffalie Chande, when in good mood, can dismantle any defence and Precious Msosa too.

Though trailing 2-0 and facing a side with the best squad, Tigers coach Patricio Kulemeka is hoping for a miracle.

“There is still one game to go, so we are still not ruling out anything despite the poor result from the first match. We will fight to the end,” he said

Like Kulemeka, Eagles coach Audilow Makonyola is buoyed with optimism that they can beat KB, the reigning Super League champions, and seal the last four place.

The Area 30-based side has recruited a number of players and the squad is almost new and, from their first leg first half performance in which they conceded four goals, it was obvious the team has not gelled.

They were more organised in the final half. They played with intent and attacked with intelligence and were rewarded with two goals.

“If we play the way we played in the first half, then we can score enough goals to progress,” Makonyola said.

But KB coach Billy Phambala is hopeful they will be able to defend the lead and progress.

“Eagles are never an easy opponent but we are good enough to seal the game. It won’t be easy to beat them at their home where they defend and attack purposefully,” he said.

On his part, Mafco coach Temwa Msuku also insisted that the battle is far from being over.

“If we had doubts that we cannot turn the tables, then we wouldn’t be travelling to Mzuzu for the reverse fixture, but we have not given up hope. We believe we are still very much in contention,” he said.

His Moyale counterpart Charles Kamanga said they are aware that Mafco will approach the game like wounded buffaloes.

“They have nothing to lose, so they will come flat out. We do not have the luxury of thinking that we are in the comfort zone.

“There were areas such as lack of coordination in midfield which we need to work on,” he said. n