National Sports

Nomads move to 2nd place

 

Champions Be Forward have dislodged Silver Strikers from the second position in the TNM Super League following their 4-1 victory over Red Lions at Kamuzu Stadium in Blantyre.

The Nomads now have 45 points from 22 matches, seven points behind leaders Nyasa Big Bullets from the same number of games.

Silver, who were held to a two-all draw by Dwangwa United on Saturday, have dropped to third with 44 points from 23 matches.

Wadabwa (L) scores the Nomads’ last goal from an acute angle

The Nomads went for the Lions’ throats from the off and veteran forward Esau Kanyenda, who keeps on getting better with age like old vintage wine, drew first blood in the 10th minute.

Winger Isaac ‘Tcheya’ Kaliati was the architect. He crossed the ball into the goal area and Peter Wadabwa’s attempt was punched away by Lions’ ‘keeper Brightone Ngwenyama and on pounced Kanyenda to do the rest to perfection from the rebound.

Moments later, the Malawi Defence Force (MDF) side had a chance to level the scores when they were awarded a penalty after the Nomads’ left-back Francis Mlimbika handled the ball in the goal area, but to the disbelief of the Lions’ camp and ganyu fans, Moses Nankumba’s spot-kick was kept out by in-form Wanderers ‘keeper Nenani Juwaya.

The Lali Lubani Road outfit led 1-0 at the interval and came into the second half with renewed hunger and purpose.

Wadabwa made it 2-0 in the 65th minute from a Joseph Kamwendo cross. Precious Sambani added the third in the 77th minute after being selflessly put through by Kanyenda.

Wadabwa then put the game beyond the Zomba-based soldiers reach with four minutes to full time when he beat two defenders before scoring past Ngwenyama from an acute angle.

But Nankumba made amends for the missed penalty when he claimed the face saver for Lions two minutes into injury time, beating Nomads’ substitute goalkeeper Richard Chipuwa who had just been thrown in for Juwaya.

Lions coach Sterio Gondwe described the defeat as painful.

“We started well in the first half, but we lost the plot in the second half. Our defence was disorganised. We just didn’t turn up and we accept defeat.

“We still have six more games to play and we will go back to the drawing board,” said the coach whose side lies on 13th with 25 points..

On his part, Nomads’ team manager Stevie Madeira said they will keep up piling pressure on their rivals Bullets with the hope that they will falter in the remaining games.

“We are seven points behind, but we will keep on turning the screw and see where it gets us to,” he said.

In other games, Masters Security held Civil Sporting Club to a two-all draw at Civo Stadium in Lilongwe while TN Stars and Nchalo United played out a one-all draw in Kasungu.

Moyale Barracks compunded Azam Tigers’ misery with a 3-2 win. On Saturday, the Kau-Kau Boys also lost 3-1 to Mzuzu University (Mzuni) FC. n

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