Silver Strikers yesterday thumped Karonga United 4-1 in the FDH Bank Premiership at Silver Stadium in Area 47, Lilongwe to go joint top with 2025 elite league champions Mighty Wanderers.
The victory was also a sweet revenge for the Lilongwe-based Bankers after the 3-0 defeat they suffered the previous weekend to Karonga United which sent them packing out of the Airtel Top 8 Tournament by a 3-2 aggregate.
Silver and Wanderers are now tied on 21 points from 10 games apiece with a similar goal difference of 14, but the Nomads have the bragging rights courtesy of a superior number of goals scored.
After a goalless first half in which Ingwina ya Karonga showed strong resilience, the hosts came into the second half with new found resolve and broke the deadlock in the 51st minute through Lassuli Jali with a swing of his leg from a rebound after Karonga United goalkeeper Eddie Jamu had kept out Chinsisi Maonga’s effort.
Two minutes later, the Reserve Bank of Malawi-sponsored outfit doubled their lead through Innocent Shema from a Chinsisi Maonga cross.
The Bankers were on song and there was no turning back as Maonga made it 3-0 three minutes later.
But the visitors pulled one back through a penalty in in the 73rd minute and up stepped Lennox Kiwambe to convert the spot-kick with ease.
But Silver weren’t done yet and Charles Chipala netted the fourth in the 83rd minute, when he connected home a Charles Gototo cross.
Silver assistant coach Mapopa Musukwa attributed the victory to a change of approach in the second half.
“In the first half our players were desperate to avenge the Airtel Top 8 defeat. So, at half time, we advised them to calm down and play according to our game plan and it worked,” he said.
Karonga assistant coach Christopher Chinkwita said his charges lost concentration in the second half.
“We started well, but lost the plot in the second half. We accept defeat and we will go back to the drawing board to see where we went wrong,” he said.
At Mpira Stadium in Chiwembe Township, Blantyre, FCB Nyasa Bullets missed a chance to go top of the table when they played out a goalless draw against Ekhaya FC.
Bullets remain third with 20 points while Ekhaya are fifth with 16 points.
At Nankhaka Stadium in Lilongwe, Blue Eagles also had a chance to return to the top of the table, but lost 2-1 to Kamuzu Barracks in an all-Lioingwe affair.
The win, saw the struggling Malawi Defence Force side moving a step up to 15th in the 16-team league. They now have seven points while the Malawi Police Service side has dropped to fourth with 19 points.
Creck Sporting Club, who lost to Luanar Mitundu 1-0 on Saturday, now anchor the table with five points.
