Pieter De Jongh, the coach of Silver Strikers, was seen rushing towards the referee after his te
am’s goalless draw with Chitipa United at Civo Stadium. A video circulating on social media captured the moment when De Jongh ran towards the match officials after the final whistle. However, members of the Silver Strikers’ technical panel intervened, preventing him from reaching the officials. Security officers quickly stepped in to protect the match officials, which included referee Mathews Chombo Davie, first assistant Sengani Tamandani, and second assistant Maseko Hendrix.
According to local media reports, De Jongh expressed his dissatisfaction with the officiating and the amount of added time at the end of each half. He was quoted as saying, “The referee has robbed me of two points! This is a disgrace to Malawi football.”
Chitipa United’s coach, Macdonald Mtetemera, acknowledged that his players performed well but admitted that they struggled to convert the scoring opportunities they created.
After today’s game, Silver Strikers remain at the top of the league table with 25 points from 11 games, while Chitipa United sits in fourth place with 17 points from 11 games.
In an electrifying match that took place on Saturday, July 1, 2023, at Kamuzu Stadium, the Mighty Wanderers and Nyasa Big Bullets faced off in a thrilling TNM Super League encounter.
With a massive crowd of spectators filling the stadium, the Mighty Wanderers took control of the game right from the start, showcasing their beautiful football and dominating the midfield. They kept Nyasa Big Bullets pinned in their own half but struggled to convert their dominance into goals.
Just before halftime, the Mighty Wanderers created a flurry of scoring chances, particularly through Gaddie Chirwa, who caused havoc on the right wing, delivering dangerous crosses into the goal area. However, Francis Mkonda and Vincent Nyangulu were unable to find the back of the net with their headers, and the scoreline remained unchanged.
As the second half began, Nyasa Big Bullets made substitutions, bringing on Anthony Nfune and Chawanangwa Gumbo in place of Hassan Kajoke and John Lanjesi, but the change failed to shift the momentum in their favor. The Mighty Wanderers continued their dominant performance from the first half, relentlessly pushing for a breakthrough.
Despite their persistent efforts, the Mighty Wanderers found it challenging to break through the formidable defense of Nyasa Big Bullets. The Bullets’ backline, consisting of Blessings Mpokera, Gomezgani Chirwa, Okofor Okumu, and Alick Lungu, stood strong and resolute. The Mighty Wanderers made their own substitutions, bringing in Christopher Kumwembe and Vitumbiko Kumwenda while replacing Vincent Nyangulu and Francis Mkonda, but the changes did not tip the scales in their favor.
Wisdom Mpinganjira of the Mighty Wanderers was voted as the man of the match for his outstanding performance.
Reflecting on the match, the Mighty Wanderers’ coach, Mark Harrison, expressed satisfaction with his team’s display of football despite the lack of goals. He praised the players, stating, “Everyone was excellent today. We controlled the game, dominated the play, and created several scoring chances. If we can consistently perform like this, we can challenge for the championship. It’s a long way to go, and we’ll keep pushing forward.”
Meanwhile, Calisto Pasuwa, the coach of FCB Nyasa Big Bullets, accepted his team’s subpar performance, acknowledging that they were slow on the ball and lacked assertiveness. He gave credit to the opposition, saying, “Well done to the opposition; they played well. We didn’t execute our usual game plan, and our center-backs struggled at times. Our confidence was lacking, which hindered our offensive tactics. We need to go back, analyze our performance, and come back stronger.”
With the match ending in a 0-0 draw, both teams walked away with a single point. The Mighty Wanderers maintain their position in third place in the league standings with 19 points, while FCB Nyasa Big Bullets secure the second position with 22 points, having played the same number of games. Sitting at the top of the league table is Silver Strikers with 25 points, following their goalless draw against Chitipa United at Civo Stadium on the same day