BT Zero off to flying start
FAM Women’s Football League Southern Region champions Blantyre Zero on Saturday started their title defence campaign on a high by thrashing Envirom FC 6-0 at the BAT Ground in Blantyre.
This was the biggest score margin in the six opening fixtures of the Football Association of Malawi (FAM)-sponsored league in the Southern, Central and Northern regions.
Braces from Zainab Kapanda and Vanessa Chikupira’s plus strikes by Fauza Muhammad and Chimwemwe Billy ensured that Zero soared to the summit of the eight-team Southern Region log-table on better goal difference.
They are followed by Bangwe Super Queens, who thumped Blantyre Hotspur 3-1.
Bangwe scored through their Wongani Mnenula and Fyness Munthali’s brace while Hotspur got their consolation through Tawina Kawanga.
“A good start is good for us because it has boosted our confidence ahead of our next fixture. We are very happy with the result,” said Zero coach Jaffalie Saudi after the match.
Nevertheless, the most surprising result on the day emerged in a Central Region encounter where runners-up Skippers FC were held to a two-all draw by minnows Hungry Lions, who had always been on the losing end in all their previous meetings in the last four years.
Skippers’ coach Linda Kasenda, who doubles as a player, attributed their shared spoils to complacency among her charges.
“It was not our day; Hungry Lions played well as we were second on the ball and we were complacent after taking an early lead,” she said.
The retired women’s football national team player added that they were psychologically affected after the league’s organising committee changed the venue at the eleventh-hour.
Kasenda scored her team’s first goal in the ninth minute at Lilongwe Community Centre ground.
The other match in the Centre saw TC 11 thumping Chilinde Queens 3-0 through strikes by Glory Sichinga, Jessie Mandevu and Ellen Sokani.
In the North, Topik Dynamos had a 2-0 walkover win over Sanwecka Sisters, who were penalised for failing to produce the Mpira Connect Cards. MK Academy beat Gafu Sisters 2-0 with goals by Kettie Munthali and Jean Chavula.
According to National Women’s Football Association general secretary Lina Mtegha, 24 teams (eight from each region) are taking part in the competition, which has been divided into two phases.
The first phase will be a regional championship involving eight teams per region, who will play in a round-robin format on home and away basis.
“Then, a national championship will follow, drawing together the top-three teams from each region,” she said.
