Mutharika salutes Wanderers

President Peter Mutharika has congratulated the Might Be Forward Wanderers on winning the Carlsberg Cup.

“My hearty congratulations to the Mighty Be Forward Wanderers on the deserved and decisive win against a really impressive team, Big Bullets.

“Congratulations to the supporters from both teams also for being lively and peaceful. I keenly followed the game on MBCtv. While the players on the field proved their skill and expertise with the ball, the large turnout of their supporters in the stands stood tall with their exemplary behaviour,” read part of the President’s posting on his Facebook Page.

He also commended the sponsor and all involved in such a colourful finale.

“To the Vice-President [Saulos Chilima] and all Big Bullets fans, I say sorry for the hurting loss. We all know how painful it is to lose in a final.”

Hordes of blue-and-white clad fans lined up the route between Lilongwe and Blantyre on Sunday to watch their team Be Forward Wanderers show off the Carlsberg Cup in an open-top bus paade.

The Nomads beat their age-old rivals Big Bullets 2-1 on Saturday at Civo Stadium in Lilongwe to win the cup and end the People’s Team’s lengthy unbeaten run.

Everywhere they stopped, the Nomads were met by elated fans.

The Carlsberg party started soon after the match when the Nomads were forced to move at snail’s pace by their overenthusiastic fans for close to one and a half hours from Civo Stadium to Chilambula Lodge at Maula—where they were camping—which is three kilometres away from the stadium.

“The initial plan was to drive straight to the lodge so that the players could rest, but the fans bought none of that and demanded that we move slowly. The atmosphere was just electric, the fans were over the moon and understandably so,” said Wanderers general secretary Mike Butao.

On Sunday, the Nomads started off for Blantyre at around 9.30am and were escorted by some of their Lilongwe-based fans all the way to Dedza.

Their first stop was Chimbiya, Dedza was next, then they briefly stopped at Lizulu in Ntcheu where the convoy was mobbed by ecstatic fans who sang in praise of their team.

They were not done yet. At Balaka Market, they found a group of fans waiting for them and their parade extended around Balaka. Their next stop was Manjawira.

But a carnival atmosphere awaited them at Zalewa in Neno where they found a group of fans from as far as Blantyre waiting for them while others joined the parade at Lunzu Trading Centre.

They finally arrived in Blantyre in the evening to a hearty welcome and drove around the streets amid blaring car horns and chants. The fans were overwhelmed by the raw beauty of the grand occasion that meant so much to each one of them.

There were scenes so lovely that should have only been fit for the eyes of the angels in their flight.

The Nomads had eased the pain they had inflicted on their loyal fans and it was time to repay them for their faith.

Butao described the fans’ reaction as amazing.

“They have waited for this moment for so long. The victory itself was proof that we are making progress.

“In the first round, we brought in a number of new players and as expected, it took time for them to gel, but I believe we are now reaping the rewards,” said Butao.

Asked if there would be any incentives for the players in appreciation for a job well done, Butao said: “For now, I cannot say because there are lots of pledges coming through and we need to consolidate them.

“But in terms of prize money, we have a set method and the players know what they are supposed to get.”

According to our findings, the players are entitled to share 50 percent of the prize money and in this case K4.5 million ($8 588).