In a thrilling encounter at the BNS Stadium, debutants Extreme FC clinched their first victory of the 2023 Tnm Super League season with a hard-fought 1-0 win over the formidable Mighty Mukuru Wanderers.
The lone goal came in the 38th minute of the first half when Gregory Mwase superbly headed home a precise free-kick delivered by Frank Sanudi.
Wanderers, who had secured a 2-1 victory against Karonga United in their previous match, made significant changes to their lineup. Five new faces were included in the starting eleven, with Richard Chipuwa guarding the goal, and Chiukepo Msowoya, Vitumbiko Kumwenda, Mathews Masamba, and Emmanuel Nyirenda taking the field. Key players Christopher Kumwembe, Lawrence Chaziya, Innocent Botomani, and Wisdom Mpinganjira were benched for the game, with captain Stanley Sanudi given the new role of defending midfielder.
Wanderers dominated the early minutes of the match, creating several clear-cut chances through Chiukepo Msowoya and Gaddie Chirwa.
However, Extreme FC proved dangerous on the counterattacks, keeping the Wanderers’ defense on high alert.
In the 41st minute, Miracle Gabeya of Wanderers received a straight red card after a reckless challenge on an Extreme FC player, leaving Wanderers with a numerical disadvantage at a crucial juncture in the match.
As the second half kicked off, Wanderers made four substitutions, bringing on Lawrence Chaziya, Wisdom Mpinganjira, Christopher Kumwembe, and Mphatso Kamanga for Chiukepo Msowoya, Vitumbiko Kumwenda, Emmanuel Nyirenda, and Mathews Masamba made way for the fresh legs.
Despite Wanderers pushing for an equalizer in the second half, Extreme FC goalkeeper Blessings Juma stood tall between the posts, making crucial saves to preserve his clean sheet.
Juma’s outstanding performance earned him the well-deserved Man of the Match award.
The game concluded with Extreme FC emerging victorious with a 1-0 scoreline, marking their first win of the season. The defeat dealt a blow to Wanderers, who suffered their second loss of the campaign.
Following the match, Extreme FC’s interim coach, Elvis Kafoteka, expressed his gratitude to the team for a job well done, crediting the victory to their effective utilization of counterattacks, exploiting Wanderers’ midfield focus.
Kafoteka emphasized that the win would serve as motivation for the team going forward.
“It is God who has given us this victory. I told my boys to attack and contain our system because Wanderers use the midfield so much. I am happy that the boys listened to the advice. They gave everything for the game. We need to be serious, forget about the sweet victory, and concentrate on our next games,” said Kafoteka.
On the Wanderers’ side, Alfred Manyozo Jnr, a member of the team’s technical panel, expressed disappointment with their performance.
However, he downplayed the impact of Gabeya’s red card and the changes to their system. Manyozo Jnr stated that the team would address the challenges they faced and come back stronger in future matches.
“This is so embarrassing; it is a shame. There is no excuse for the loss. We could have done better. We were poor in the first half, but this is unacceptable as Wanderers, and we need to think about it. It is painful to lose to teams like Extreme. We attacked and created chances in the second half, it was just a bad day,” said Manyozo.
After the game, Wanderers captain Stanley Sanudi apologized to the team’s angry fans who demanded for an explanation of what they explained as a horrible performance from the Lali Lubani outfits.
Extreme has moved to position 15 on the log table with 5 points from 9 games, while Wanderers remain third with 17 points from 9 games.
In other fixtures across the league, defending champions Nyasa Big Bullets reclaimed the top spot with a resounding 4-1 victory against Ekwendeni Hammers at the Kamuzu Stadium.
Goals from Hassan Kajoke, Lanjesi Nkhoma, Patrick Mwaungulu, and Anthony Mfune sealed the win for the home side, while Ekwendeni Hammers managed a consolation goal through an unfortunate own goal by Bullets’ Gomezgani Chirwa.
Meanwhile, at the Karonga Stadium, Karonga United and Mighty Tigers battled to a 1-1 draw. Tigers took the lead with a goal from Trouble Kajani in the 58th minute, but Karonga United equalized in the 87th minute through a penalty converted by Davie Tobias.
Wanderers simatha mpira. the problem lies in the team’s management politics, dyera too much