
…draw for Moyale Barracks and Chitipa United…
A late strike each from Hassan Kajoke and Babatunde Adepoju inspired FCB Nyasa Big Bullets to a hard-fought 2-0 victory over Mighty Tigers at Kamuzu Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
The People’s Team aimed to bounce back from a 1-0 loss in the Blantyre Derby, but it appeared tthe o be another disappointing day for Peter Mponda’s men until two goals were scored in the last ten minutes, securing the win.
What happened…
The two teams displayed contrasting strategies from the start, as Bullets showcased their attacking ambitions, while Tigers adopted a defensive stance, utilising an eight-player block to impede any offensive advances.
The visitors launched the first significant attack from two set pieces, but the hosts successfully defended.
Thereafter, Mponda’s team controlled the ball, but Tigers’ defensive approach limited their ability to penetrate the final third, forcing them to maintain more possession in their half than the opposition’s box.
The first chance for Bullets came in the 20th minute when Lloyd Aaron’s pass found Hassan Kajoke, who was flagged for offside. Moments later, the pair linked up again, but Sunganani Mponda’s intervention, which resulted in an injury, prevented a scoring opportunity.
Two set pieces from McBram were unsuccessful as Tigers’ numerical superiority in defence allowed them to dominate the aerial battles.
As the clock ticked down, Mponda brought on Ephraim Kondowe for McBrams, seeking to add more attacking impetus and force Tigers to create space.
However, the visitors remained organised, controlling their penalty area and repelling crosses and set pieces.
In the dying minutes of the first half, Bullets pressed for a goal, but Leo Mpulura’s team held firm, ensuring the teams entered the break on equal terms, as Bullets’ frustration grew in the face of Tigers’ obdurate defending.
Upon resumption of play, Mponda implemented a strategic substitution, bringing in Babatunde for Wongani Lungu, to enhance the attacking presence within the opposition’s box.
This tactical manoeuvre was accompanied by Phillip Chavula’s replacement of Joseph Balakasi for the visiting team.
Despite this, the Bullets continued to maintain a significant proportion of possession within their half, while the Tigers concentrated on reinforcing their defensive zone. To counter this development, Mponda introduced Chawanangwa Gumbo for Mike Mkwate to spearhead the attack, and this substitution proved instrumental in disrupting the Tigers’ defence.
A gilt-edged opportunity presented itself in the 61st minute when Mponda failed to control a cross from Mologeni, allowing Babatunde to gain possession, who unfortunately squandered the chance by firing wide with the goal at his mercy.
As the Bullets’ frustration grew, the hosts embarked on an all-out attack, pushing forward with all available players, but the Tigers remained resolute in their defensive stance, confident of securing a point against the People’s Team.
At the sixty-eight-minute mark, Kajoke laid the ball to Kondowe on the edge of the penalty box, but his shot hit the post for a corner, which was well dealt with by Sunganani Mponda.
The visitors suffered a setback when their shot-stopper was replaced by Lucky Tizola after suffering an injury in the seventy-fifth minute.
Bullets continued to dominate the game but struggled to make any breakthrough as Tigers’ defence remained solid and compact.
Bullets took control of the entire area as Tigers failed to pose any significant attacking threats, with every attacking player pushing forward to force Tigers into making a mistake and creating a goal-scoring opportunity.
However, the visitors maintained their resolute defensive stance, consistently frustrating the hosts. In the 81st minute, Phodo replaced Mologeni with Bullets.
Then, in the 82nd minute, the moment Mponda’s men had been waiting for arrived spectacularly.
Just one minute after coming on, Phodo sent a loose ball into the box that Alex Kambirinya missed, allowing Kajoke to fire at goal and beat Tizola to his right-hand post, securing a 1-0 lead.
Tigers became increasingly vulnerable in defence following the goal, as they endeavoured to find an equaliser, whereas the hosts, who remained unsatisfied with their narrow lead, were compelled to exercise caution in their defensive strategy, as any misstep could have allowed Tigers to regain their footing in the game.
In the 85th minute, Willard surrendered possession to Precious Chiudza, and the forward was brought down by Jovinala in the defensive zone, but he shot directly at Aaron, who made a timely clearance.
Tigers substituted John Kamwendo for James Tambwali in the 86th minute.
The hosts ultimately secured the win in the 89th minute, courtesy of Babatunde’s sixth goal this season.
A lengthy clearance by Jovinala caught Kambirinya off-guard, and when Tizola realised the ball was headed towards Babatunde, he vacated his goal line, only to witness the attacker volley past him, doubling Bullets’ lead and securing all points.
Seven minutes were added to the clock, but Bullets remained focused on managing the game, with Shukuran Afick’s shot being well saved by Innocent Nyasulu, who was mostly absent throughout the game, and Tigers presenting a minimal threat, allowing Bullets to claim maximum points.
At Karonga Stadium, Karonga United secured a comfortable 2-0 victory over Mzuzu Hammers, with Zikani Mponda and Saulos Moyo each scoring a goal, thereby propelling their team to fourth place in the standings with 15 points from seven matches.
Conversely, the loss relegated Hammers to the bottom three, with a mere four points from six games. Meanwhile, at Rumphi Stadium, Moyale Barracks and Chitipa United engaged in a goalless stalemate.
This result enabled Moyale to maintain their unbeaten status, albeit with 13 points from seven games, positioning them sixth in the table, while Chitipa United ranked 14th with six points from eight games. Furthermore, at Dedza Stadium, Dedza Dynamos achieved a resounding 3-0 triumph over Songwe Border United, courtesy of a brace from Gift Magola and a solitary strike from Tayani Phiri.
Consequently, Dedza Dynamos ascended to seventh place with 13 points from nine games, whereas Songwe Border United remained at the bottom of the table with a single point from nine games.