Azam Tigers did everything right in Wednesday’s Carlsberg Cup quarter-final, but they could not just buy experience which proved the difference between them losing 2-1 and Big Bullets firing to the semi-final.
“We had the chances to score more goals and seal the game in the first-half, but we were complacent,” Tigers technical director Robin Alufandika said in a post-match interview.
Complacency in football is common among experienced players. For the better part of the game at Kamuzu Stadium, Tigers pressed high up the pitch through exciting Isaac Kaliati. Clifford Kankhuni stifled Bullets’ midfield with his brave tackles whereas the defence completely towered above Bullets’ striking force.
Long balls pumped upfront from the attacking third did not help Bullets’ cause either. Tigers did themselves a great favour by denying Bullets crosses while at the same time building from the back.
Tigers were deceiving and effective at the same time. They looked lazy on the ball, yet they kept possession jealously. However, the always-seated coach Franco Ndawa seems to epitomise their cool approach.
It was like Tigers did not bother about scoring, yet Kaliati’s cross set up Frazer Menyani’s 18th minute opener that left Bullets’ defence in a heap.
Midfielders James Chilapondwa and Henry Kabichi were forced to operate too deep, thereby delinking themselves from strikers Mussa Manyenje and Diverson Mlozi who had a fair share of wasting opportunities.
Like Mexico’s naivety when giving away a 1-0 lead then lose 2-1 to Netherlands, Tigers too entered the second-half thinking that, instead of taking the game to Bullets, they could defend their paper-thin lead. This allowed the Bullets to camp in the Kau Kau penalty box.
Somehow, with the clock ticking into the last five minutes, a long clever chip was read well by the much criticised Manyenje who sneaked behind Tigers defence to score past impressive Tigers’ goalkeeper Nenani Juwayo.
Then Chilapondwa stepped up to the plate to blast home a terrific left-footed volley that started the celebrating party and with it, a semi-final meeting with rivals Mighty Wanderers. Bullets coach Elia Kananji’s smile said it all.
“Credit should go to the players for not giving up. We had to come back into the game even when nobody gave us a chance. We indeed struggled, but we worked hard on our weaknesses,” said Kananji.
Once again youth exhuberance betrayed Tigers whereas Bullets’ old legs of Fischer Kondowe and Chilapondwa once again proved their worth of the red and white shirts.
