Bullets Reserves retain PowerStart Trophy
Nyasa Big Bullets Reserves have defended the PowerStart Tayale Southern Region Football Association (SRFA) Knockout Trophy following a 3-1 victory over Zingwangwa United at Mulanje Stadium on Sunday.
Emmanuel Savieli’s brace and Chikumbutso Salima’s strike ensured that the Enos Chatama-coached second-tier outfit got the K2 million winners’ prize. Mark Chembezi scored the consolation goal for Zingwangwa, which is a third-tier league team.
Savieli drew first blood in the 35th minute with a tap-in after a hard-and-low cross from his captain Yamikani Mologeni. But it took only three minutes for Zingwangwa to level the scores through Chembezi.
Savieli restored the Reserves’ lead in the 52nd minute before Salima put the game beyond Zingwangwa’s reach in the 68th minute.
In a post-match interview, Chatama said: “This was a tough game, but thank God we retained the cup. It was difficult in the first half as we were losing a lot of balls in midfield.
“But everything changed for the better after I told my boys at the break to be compact and play straight balls as Zingwangwa defence was not easy to penetrate.”
On his part, Zingwangwa coach Dida Zingwangwa attributed their defeat to poor goalkeeping.
“We prepared well for this game, which was a balanced affair, but our goalkeeper gifted them two silly goals that cost us the game. All the same, we are happy to have reached this far,” he said.
In individual awards, Savieli bagged both the Player of the Tournament and the Top Scorer awards. He scored six goals, one ahead of his runner-up Salima.
Powertex Limited managing director Itaye Chidzero, whose battery manufacturing company bankrolls the tournament, said they were impressed with the competitiveness of the tournament and are proud to be associated with the sport.
He said: “We have had massive competition and very exciting games. It gives us great joy to see a team from the third-tier league reaching the final.
“It tells you the level of sacrifices and hunger that the lower division teams had to excel. As a business, we are happy because this makes our brand grow.”
SRFA chairperson Raphael Humba and Football Association of Malawi executive member Felistus Dossi said they were happy that the competition is able to produce talent such as Bullets senior team attacker Patrick Mwaungula and goalkeeper Clever Nkungula that are now making headway in the senior national team.
