Mighty Wanderers yesterday claimed a rare third successive win over their arch-rivals FCB Nyasa Bullets to send them packing from the FDH Bank Cup following a 1-0 victory in the semi-final at Kamuzu Stadium in Blantyre.
Substitute Promise Kamwendo, who was named player-of-the-match, netted the lone goal late into the game to break the hearts of all those associated with the People’s Team and send Nomads fans into delirium.
The Lali Lubani Road outfit will now face Silver Strikers in their first-ever FDH Bank Cup final. The Bankers edged their capital city rivals Civil Service United by a similar margin on Saturday afternoon at Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe.
Coincidentally, the Nomads struck the winner with a minute left in regulation time while Silver scored the winner with two minutes to go.
It was the first time that the Nomads have beaten Bullets three times in a season and perhaps that explained the pain and disappointment written on the faces of Bullets fans, especially coming a week after the 3-0 humiliation in a TNM Super League match a week earlier at the same venue.
Nevertheless, yesterday’s encounter was a derby worth its name as it ebbed and flowed unlike the previous weekend’s one-way contest that failed to stir the passions.
Both teams fashioned a plethora of scoring opportunities, but failed to make them count.
In the second half, the game got more intense and physical with penalty appeals from both sides as desperation took a toll.
At some point, a fan stormed into the pitch and attacked Wanderers’ goalkeeper Dalitso Khungwa before disappearing into the crowd.
Bullets made a double substitution, bringing in Paul Master and Yamikani Mologeni for Maxwell Gasten Phodo and Chawangwa Gumbo, in that order.
Later on, they introduced Ephraim Kondowe for Babatunde Adepoju.
But it was the Nomads’ triple substitution that paid off.
Cameroonian Thierry Tanjong Sama, Wallace Adam and Clement Nyondo were taken off the stage for Blessings Mwalilino, Masiya Manda and Promise Kamwendo, respectively.
As time ticked on towards the end, the stadium oozed anxiety with post-match penalties seemingly looming.
Then it came. A cross delivered with precision by Isaac ‘Tcheya’ Kaliyati saw Kamwendo providing the final flourish with a fine header to send the blue side of town into ecstacy.
It was game over and Bullets fans left with tails between their legs as their rivals celebrated yet another derby win.
Bullets coach Peter ‘Mjojo’ Mponda said considering how they played, the result was painful.
He said: “We dominated. It was a good game in terms of performance.
“We had enough chances to win this match, but we couldn’t take them. It is painful. We need to go back and see where we went wrong.”
His Wandeers counterpart Bob Mpinganjira said he was happy that his charges played according to instructions.
“Bullets came with renewed purpose today. It was a balanced affair, but tough. Bullets played well, but I am happy we fought all the way,” he said.
