Football Association of Malawi (FAM) has said result of the game between Silver Strikers and Mighty Mukuru Wanderers in Airtel Top 8 season six opener will be announced later, as they wait for the match reports from all stakeholders.
The match was abandoned on 92nd minute after Mighty Mukuru Wanderers players refused to continue playing as a protest to Stain Davie’s goal that gave the Bankers a 2-1 lead.
WHAT HAPPENED?
The sixth edition of Airtel Top 8 opening ceremony started in a dazzling burst of joy, color and noise but it ended up in a saddest way as Wanderers fans riot and smash up Bingu National Stadium.
Before a jubilant, horn-blowing crowd in Bingu National Stadium, the spectacular stadium between Area 47 and 49, dozens of dancers in vivid reds and whites paraded onto the field for the opening ceremony of 2023 Zamadolo Airtel Top 8 Cup.
It was not an occasion for those who like it quiet. Many of the fans came equipped with trumpets which emit a loud and distinctive blare.
The trumpets made such a noise that free ear plugs were distributed outside the stadium to spectators.
Bingu National Stadium, which seats about 40,000, wasn’t yet half at the start of the ceremony but the crowd kept on growing when the match started.
Both sides made changes to their line ups of their previous games.
The hosts led by Peter Mgangira in absence of head coach Pieter De Jongh who left the country on Friday due to the expiry of work permit handed George Chaomba, Chimwemwe Idana and Tatenda M’balaka first eleven return after starting on the bench in their last week’s 1-0 home defeat against Dedza Dynamos Salima Sugar.
On the other hand, Stanley Sanudi and Gaddie Chirwa returned into the first eleven after starting on the bench in their midweek 2-1 win over Karonga United.
The match did not disappoint – the Bankers took an early command of the match with excellent exchange of passes and they nearly took the lead on eighth minute through Nickson Mwase whose header deflected off the cross bar.
The Nomads had first best opportunity on 13th minute when Hady Ng’andu brought down Christopher Kumwembe just outside his box but they were denied a goal by Silver Strikers goalie Pililani Mapila who parried away Stanley Sanudi’s delivery from freekick.
Thereafter, Silver Strikers kept on dominating possession but both sides had problems to unlock either defense.
Mapira was called into action again after half hour mark when he saved Vitumbiko Kumwenda’s shot from freekick.
With 10 minutes left in the first half, Silver Strikers looked dangerous in the final third and their first shot on target came on 37th minutes when Chikondi Kamanga sent a powerful shot straight to goalkeeper Richard Chipuwa.
Mighty Mukuru Wanderers had Chipuwa to thank on 40th minutes when he produced a spectacular save to stop George Chaomba’s powerful shot inside the box.
One minute later, Chaomba broke the deadlock for the Bankers. The former Tigers man took the ball from the center and fed Idana near the D-zone whose shot hit Chaziya and found unmarked Chaomba inside the box who slid the ball into the bottom corner of the net. 1-0 to Silver Strikers until halftime.
Mark Harrison made triple substitutions at the beginning of second half, as Felix Zulu, Vitumbiko Kumwenda and Ahmed Kung’unde paved the way for Francisco Madinga, Wisdom Mpinganjira and Balikinho Mwakanyongo.
The defending Champions level the scores at 54 minutes through Gaddie Chirwa who made a simple tap-in inside the box after Mwase failed to clear the ball from Madinga’s cross.
The goal energized the vistors who kept putting Silver Strikers under siege through Mpinganjira on the left wing.
Both teams made some changes to improve their attacking as Stain Davie and Zebron Kalima replaced Chaomba and Duncan Nyoni whereas Wanderers introduced Vincent Nyangulu and Misheck Botoman for Kumwembe and Chirwa but chances were scarce as both were cautious to concede.
However, the controversy came on 92nd minute following Silver Strikers’ second goal by Davie which infuriated tempers especially on the part of the Nomads.
The goal came following a good exchange of passes between Maxwell Paipi and Patrick Macheso and in the process referee Godfrey Nkhakananga blew the whistle for a freekick to Silver Strikers on the edge of the box after a handball by Chaziya but the loose ball rolled to find Davie in the box who connected home to make it 2-1.
Nkhakananga then reversed his earlier freekick decision to award Silver Strikers a goal, something leading to protests from the Nomads family.
Players and technical team refused to continue playing until the goal was cancelled but Nkhakananga clung to his decision and after some minutes of discussions with fellow officiating personnel and team captains he gave up and blew the last whistle of the match.
In reaction to referees decisions, Nomads threw bottles into the pitch, destroyed chairs and some invaded the pitch causing serious damage to the stadium.
WHAT’S THE FINAL RESULT?
Football Association of Malawi said they withhold the result until they receive full reports.
FAM statement reads: “The match between Silver Strikers and Mighty Mukuru Wanderers was abandoned in the added minutes”
“We will give you the final result once we receive full reports from the match officials”.
WHAT’S MARK HARRISON REACTION?
Harrison was furious and ranted on officiating team for their decisions.
The Englishman further asked FAM to consider a rematch of the first leg match.
“We didn’t lose the match, it ended 1-1 because we were cheated by the referee, I have never said this in my life, 47 years that I have been in the profession game never! ever I have ever seen the decision like that. He is blowing the whistle for the freekick, our players stopped and their players strikes the ball and gets the goal. Come on, where in the world, if this continues then we are in trouble.
“Every week, every game there’s bad decisions by these so called whistle men, is it a mistake or it’s something different that they don’t know what to do with the whistle. How could he do that, the whole Stadium took the notice of the whistle, why do you think we reacted like we did, no way would we reacted like that, everyone heard the whistle and allowed him to score, come one it’s disgusting.
“If there’s no enquiry by the Football Association of Malawi (FAM) then we are in trouble, if there’s no enquiry by the referees association then there’s a problem, I feel sorry for Airtel because they are sponsoring this Cup, in the first half Silver were excellent and then come second half we were a good team but somebody came and handled in that way, it’s disgusting. The game should be retaken”.
M’GANGIRA’S REACTION AFTER THE MATCH
On his part, Silver Strikers assistant coach Peter M’gangira said: “I think we had a fantastic first half, we controlled the game well but come second half we pulled back a little and they equalized. We kept the momentum and finished the game well. But in summary, it was a very good game”.
WHATS NEXT?
The two teams will face each other on 21st October in the second leg of the competition and Mighty Mukuru Wanderers will be at home at Kamuzu Stadium according to fixture by FAM.
