Mighty Mukuru Wanderers head coach Alex Ngwira had no kind words for referee Easter Zimba, accusing him of deliberately denying Wanderers a ‘clear’ penalty during their 1-0 defeat away to Blue Eagles on Saturday.
The Nomads, who went into this match three points behind the area 30 based side, needed a win in order for them to move into the second position with four games left to play.
But it was never meant to be their day as Eagles got all the points courtesy of former Wanderers winger Richard Rapson in a match where Eliya Kananji’s side played with one man down for the better part of the second half.
And after the final whistle, Ngwira reacted angrily towards Zimba but he was quick to admit that his charges were second best on the day.
“We did not play well. We were always second on the ball and our friends were fast on the ball until such a time when they scored a goal. Second half, atleast we would have gotten something from this game from the penalty which the referee could have atleast blown his whistle but he chose not to award us the penalty,” he told reporters.
On his team’s chances of finishing in the second position, the tactician said he remains hopeful for a top two finish from the remaining games.
“Well, we are still having some games anyway and I would say a good number of our remaining games will be played in Blantyre. I hope we win some of those games and I hope even Blue Eagles can lose a game away or even here at their venue but shame on the referees for failing to handle the game. I repeat, we had a penalty in the dying minutes and atleast, Zimba could have blown the whistle but he chose not to, we move on to the next chapter,” he concluded.
The latest defeat leaves Wanderers in fourth position with 50 points from 26 games, six points behind Eagles in the race for the second spot though Kananji’s side have played a game more than the Lali Lubani boys.
The win also sees Eagles reducing Nyasa Big Bullets’ eight point lead to just five but the log leaders, who will play Mafco FC on Sunday at Dedza Stadium, have two games in hand to play.
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