Down and out! Malawi representatives Mighty Wanderers’ TotalEnergies CAF Champions League campaign went up in smoke yesterday with a 6-1 massacre at the hands of Simba Sporting Club (SC) in the first preliminary round second-leg in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
The defeat at Uhuru Stadium means the Nomads have gone down to Simba 7-1 on aggregate.
The Nomads went to Tanzania with a mission of overturning a 1-0 home loss in the first-leg at Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe a week earlier, but, in a match monitored on Azam Television, they ended up being mercilessly baptised by their rampant hosts.
The Lali Lubani Road outfit trailed 3-1 at the end of the first half before conceding three more goals in the final segment.
By the sound of the final whistle, Simba’s Clatous Chama and Libasse Gueye had hit braces while while Morice Abraham and Keletso Makgalwa struck once each.
In a post-match interview, Wanderers interim head coach McDonald Mtetemera said he was disappointed with the performance of his charges.
“It is very unfortunate that we have lost with such a big margin,” he said.
“However, I am very much disappointed with the way some of our played performed. Maybe, it was not our day. We have to accept defeat and move forward.”
In a match monitored on Azam Television yesterday, Simba went into the game with all guns blazing with all-out attacks and it was not surprising to see them opening the scoreline as early as the eighth-minute through Chama’s strike.
It was 2-0 by the 21st-minute through Gueye and 3-0 by 33rd-minute as Chama completed his brace.
Wanderers pulled one back in the 42nd-minute as Isaac ‘Chair’ Kaliati converted from the spot after substitute Clement Nyondo was brought down inside the box.
In the second half, the Nomads appeared to be a rejuvenated side with a number of attacks but Gueye’s second goal on the counter-attack in the 69th-minute caught them off-guard and they were mostly forced to a rearguard action.
Simba added more salt to Wanderers’ wounds with two more late goals as Keletso Makgalwa stabbed in the 85th-minute before Morice Abraham completed the rout in added time.
Simba coach Steve Barker expressed satisfaction with their victory and said they are ready for the second preliminary round, where they will face either Equatorial Guinea club 15 de Agosto of Angola or the Comoros side Fomboni FC.
