Hooligans spoil it
Elements of hooliganism yesterday spoiled the party as Silver Strikers coach Peter Mponda’s charges outclassed his former employers FCB Nyasa Bullets 1-0 in a pulsating contest at Kamuzu Stadium in Blantyre.
Several vehicles, including the Central Bankers’ team bus, were smashed by suspected Bullets fans.
Silver Strikers chief executive officer Patrick Chimimba said they had to hire an alternative vehicle to ferry the players from the stadium.
“It’s sad. We must learn to accept results and lose with dignity, this is sad for our game,” he said.
On the other hand, Bullets chief adminstration officer Albert Chigoga also said their team bus’ tyres were deflated by the hooligans.
“Right now, we are having it fixed,” he said.
On the pitch, the clock wasn’t lying and cometh the 90th minute, cometh the man. When everybody thought the TNM Super League encounter was headed for a barren draw, Chinsisi Maonga broke the hearts of the People’s Team’s faithful with the lone goal.
Barely a minute on the pitch, he rewarded his coach, who was visibly desperate to make a statement against his former team, with a goal that bagged maximum points.
After the goal, suspected Bullets fans threw objects onto the pitch and referee Gift Chicco had to wait for the situation to calm down before blowing the final whistle.
A swift counter-attack saw Maonga pounce on a long ball and with Bullets defenders Gomezgani Chirwa and Yankho Singo breathing down his neck, and goalkeeper Innocent Nyasulu advancing in no man’s land to narrow the angle, he coolly slotted the ball into the net with his only touch of the game.
No fuss, job done. He then took off his jersey as he celebrated the hugely significant goal with a jive.
Mponda celebrated the goal with his fists clenched, eyes lit and mouth wide open.
He could have been forgiven if at all he felt like flying after spending the better part of the game charging up and down the touchline, demanding more from his troops.
And like a good general, Mponda led his troops out of the trenches after a mission accomplished.
Silver will head back to their base in Lilongwe as the only team yet to taste defeat in the top-flight league.
They sit pretty at the pinnacle with 25 points, having dropped only two points in nine matches. They are seven points above second-placed Kamuzu Barracks.
Adding extra spice to this significant victory was the fact that it was the first time in eight years for Silver to beat Bullets at Kamuzu Stadium in a league match.
In a post-match interview, Mponda, spotting a sky-blue shirt, black pair of trousers and a pair of snickers, hailed his charges for their fighting spiritand discipline.
With his voice straining with emotion, the former Bullets assistant coach and captain said: “First-half was open, it was 50-50, then in the second half, we tried to raise the tempo and I should thank the boys, especially Maonga for that priceless goal because it wasn’t an easy one.”
His Bullets counterpart Kallisto Pasuwa said: “Football can be cruel at times. We had our moments, but we couldn’t score and we got punished in the dying minutes of the game.
“To win a game, you need to make use of the chances you create. We’ll go back to the dressing room and map the way forward.”
Bullets were dominant in the first-half in which they created a number of scoring chances, but failed to make them count with Nigerian forward Babatunde Adepoju the notable culprit. Following the loss, Bullets are fifth with 14 points from nine matches.
