Malawi representaives in the CAF Champions League Mighty Wanderers yesterday got a hearty send-off from supporters at Bakili Muluzi International Airport in Chileka, Blantyre as they left for Tanzania for their preliminary round second leg against Simba Sporting Club.
The Nomads face the hosts Sunday at Uhuru Stadium in Dar es Salaam in the second leg of the continental club competition.
Scores of supporters thronged the airport to see off the Nomads who are trailing by a goal following a 1-0 loss at Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe on Sunday.
The Nomads now need to beat the Tanzanian giants at least 2-0 to make it to the next round.
Interim coach McDonald Nginde Mtetemera in an interview before departure challenged his charges to remain focused and fight until the final whistle as they look to overturn the first-leg deficit.
“We need to fight on. They won here, but who knows? We can beat them 2-0 and proceed to the second round. This is football,” he said.
Mtetemera said a single mistake and failure to convert chances cost the Nomads the game.
In a separate interview, Wanderers captain Emmanuel Nyirenda said they learned from the mistakes from the first leg.
“We are now focused on the secong leg,” he said.
Meanwhile, 150 Wanderers supporters also left for Tanzania yesterday by road to cheer on the team.
Wanderers president Thomson Mpinganjira has contributed K30 million for the fans’ trip, according the club’s supporters committee national chairperson Mark Chimwenje.
The winner between Wanderers and Simba will face the winner between 15 De Agosto of Equatorial Guinea and Fomboni De Moheli of Comoros in the second round.
