Copyright mwnation
The chants of “neba mutu sukugwira!” echoed around Kamuzu Stadium in Blantyre yesterday when Mighty Wanderers tormented and teased their age-old rivals FCB Nyasa Bullets in a one-sided TNM Super League contest. That they lost 0-3 was a blessing for the People’s Team, otherwise it could have been worse as they danced to the Nomads’ tune from start to finish. It was a nightmare afternoon for the 17-time champions, who were reduced to an ordinary team. The paralysis, shock and the pain was written all over Bullets faithful’s faces, who started trekking out of the stadium with 15 minutes to full-time when the Nomads got the job over and done with. To add extra spice to an already hot mixture at Lali Lubani Road, it was the first time in a long time that the Nomads completed a league double over their rivals after winning the first-round encounter 1-0. Following the victory, Wanderers have cut Bullets’ lead at the summit of the table to a point, but with a game in hand. They now have 48 points from 20 games and still stand proudly as the only team yet to taste defeat. Substitute Adam Wallace, who replaced injured Wisdom Mpinganjira, drew first blood for the Nomads with his first touch after 22 minutes with a sublime finish after the Bullets defence was caught napping, failing to deal with an Isaac ‘Tcheya’ Kalitati delivery. Bullets appeared to have levelled the scores nine minutes later when Chikumbutso Salima tapped the ball home from close range, but it was ruled out for off-side by referee Mayamiko Kanjere. From then on, the Nomads were on song, dictating the pace of the game as their rivals appeared out of sorts. Bullets coach Peter Mponda made a double substitution, throwing in Mike Mkwate and Wongani Lungu for Hassan Kajoke and Paul Master. Later on, he also introduced Babatunde Adepoju for Khumbo Banda to try and breathe a new lease of life into his team, but it was to no avail. Midfielder Blessings Singini, who shone for the Nomads, doubled Wanderers’ lead in the 76th minute with a fabulous shot that left Bullets’ keeper Innocent Nyasulu gasping at thin air. Singini claimed a brace and the Nomads’ third seven minutes later when he capitalised on a defensive error and it was game over! In a post-match interview, Mponda saluted Wanderers, saying the victory was well deserved. He said: “I must give credit to coach Bob [Mpinganjira] and his team, they played good football, they deserved to win this game. The way we played, we did not deserve anything from this match. Congratulations to them. “I think it was one of those days…an off day. The way we played was very disappointing.” However, Mponda said the result does not dent their title ambitions. “We are still in it. They have a game in hand, but we still have a say in this contest,” he said. On the other hand, Nomads gaffer Bob Mpinganjira applauded his charges for an outstanding performance. “We created a lot of chances, it could have been more than three goals, but still the same, I am happy, I commend my players for a job well done.”
