Nyasa Big Bullets 1-0 Gor Mahia. Game ends 3-4 in penalties
From a hero to a villain. His 55th minute thunderbolt could not clear out the villain colors his 87th minute spot kick miss made him wear. Story cut, Chiukepo Msowoya was the big, low and big name in the match Nyasa Big Bullets lost 3-4 to Gor Mahia in the Caf Champions league second leg match played today at the Kamuzu stadium.
Defenders Miracle Gabeya and Pilirani Zonda had their penalties saved and hit the upright respectively.
Fans thronged the Blantyre stadium in large numbers as if it was not a mid week encounter. Their trust built was solely on the home ground effect. The Peoples team was supposed to see out a 0-1 first leg loss to the Kenyan side.
From the first whistle, it was all but a slow match. The towering Kenyans were able to win all the aerial balls at the expense of shorter Bullets midfield players.
Erisa Ssekisambo, Haron Shavaka summed up the top notch defending approach Mahia deployed in this match up.
Coach Calisto Pasuwa opted to play one forward upfront Chiukepo Msowoya. A goalless first half was marred by misplacing of set pieces, loss of possession and poor defending for the home side. Mustafa Francis’s header beat Ernest Kakhobwe in goals with the goal post standing to the home side’s rescue.
Pasuwa’s standout tactic came up at halftime by pulling off a rather fatigue looking Henry Kabitchi for a high sprinting Bright Munthali.
Munthali’s immediate task was to assist Msowoya win balls and distribute balls in the wings manned by starlet Righteous Banda and Macfarlen Mgwira.
Msowoya produced a thunderous shot ten minutes after recess. Mahia goal minder Boniface Oluiah Otiena was completely beaten and did not see the shot coming. Msowoya reminded the fans of his miniature claiming national team goal against Egypt ten years ago.
The goal seemed to have been an outright lifeline for the home side as it brought the two sides at parity in line with the first leg one nil win for the visiting Kenyans.
A notable and match changing came in the 87th minute when the Peoples team won themselves a penalty after towering deadlocked left back Batambuze Shafika was seen to have fouled Msowoya from a juicy Yamikan Fodya cross from the left frank.
Msowoya stepped up as ovations were already assimilating the entire stadium. His weak shot was no match for a quick Otiena who without a blink saved the spotkick to the disappointment of the home fans.
Post match penalties came and Msowoya slotted home to place the probable omen on him far away. This time he was strenuous, smashing the ball to the left sending Otiena the other way this time around.
Second half substitute Bernard Ochieng Ondiek took the first Mahia spotkick and eased past Kakhobwe before Gabeya had his penalty saved.
For Mahia Humphrey Miend Ochieng substitute Boniface Omondi and Shavaka all with comfortably beat Kakhobwe.
The last spotkick by Zonda hit the upright sending the villain cloth Msowoya appeared to deny wearing to the energetic defender.
Coach Pasuwa told the media his charges were slow and appeared to approach the visiting side with respect but was quick to admit his charges have left their lessons.
His counterpart, an interim coach Hassan Okdan was full praise of his player saying luck appeared to favour them in this match up.
