Lions roar two points clear
Success-starved Red Lions preyed on hosts Civo United 3-0 Sunday to roar two points clear at the summit of the TNM Super League.
The Lions stretched to 24 points after Boniface Kaulesi, Dixon Mbetewa Junior and Kumbukani Mwambeni’s goals dampened the mood at Civo Stadium in Lilongwe. Civo remain ninth on 11 points.
Soldiers’ growing dominance of the top-flight league continued on Sunday when Kamuzu Barracks’ (KB) left-back Diof Simaone struck twice for the second-placed team to beat fellow soldiers Moyale Barracks 2-1 at Dedza Stadium.
Gastin Simkonda scored the lone goal for the 10th placed Moyale (10 points).
KB are on 22 points from 10 matches whereas Blue Eagles have been pushed to third position on 21 points.
Azam Tigers climbed a step up to fourth on 20 points after seeing off Blantyre United 2-1 through Kondwani Kandiado and substitute Willy Saenda’s goals at the Kamuzu Stadium in Blantyre where the Kau Kau goalkeeper Nenani Juwayo frustrated striker Muhamad Sulumba with telling saves.
Kandiado headed in freely off a left wing cross as United defence went to sleep barely three minutes into the game. Tigers dominated the first half before United pressed hard for an equaliser after break.
Against the run of play on the 78th minute, Saenda scrambled in Tigers’ second, making the most of United goalkeeper Carlington Misomali’s dropped ball from a corner kick.
But United were not yet dead. Ayiko Maluwa came off the bench to glance in his header on the 83rd minute after a curling Sulumba cross.
The loss left United, who missed four players through injury, fifth from the bottom on nine points.
Coach Elia Kananji blamed bad luck for the defeat.
“We had a lot of chances which we did not put away and in the end we got punished. It was a bad day for us. Luck deserted us,” Kananji said in a post-match interview.
