Silver Strikers Secure Hard-Fought 1-0 Victory over Chitipa United
In a tense TNM Super League encounter at Silver Stadium in Lilongwe, Silver Strikers clinched a crucial 1-0 victory over Chitipa United on Wednesday. Chinsisi Maonga's first-half goal was enough to secure three points for the Central Bankers, who are now second in the league table with 36 points from 17 games.
Coach Peter Mgangira made two strategic changes to the team that faced Mighty Tigers in Blantyre last Saturday. Early in the game, Silver Strikers showed their intent with McDonald Lameck's beautiful free kick after Zebron Kalima was fouled in the visitors’ half. Uchizi Vunga had a scoring opportunity but shot wide.
Lassuli Jali came close to opening the scoring after receiving a good ball from Kalima, but his effort went over the bar. At the half-hour mark, Maonga capitalized on a Kalima cross to give his team the lead. Five minutes before stoppage time, Jali was substituted for Chikondi Kamanga.
In stoppage time, Kalima played a cross to Lameck, who made a good run on the right and crossed the ball inside, but Maonga and Binwell Katinji both missed it. Three minutes into the second half, Vunga gained possession from Eric Astiga and launched an attack, but his shot was blocked. Katinji and Lameck both went for the rebound, but neither succeeded.
At the 58th minute, Charles Chipala came on for Katinji. Ten minutes later, Ernest Petro and Innocent Shema were brought in for Sambani and Vunga. Ten minutes from the end of regulation, Shema initiated a move from the back, releasing Maonga, who crossed inside to Kalima, who skipped it to Chipala. Chipala took a shot, but it was saved.
"It's a good win, we, however, did not deserve a one-zero margin as we created a lot of chances. We have won as we are going to the FIFA International break, and that is something positive," said Mgangira.
Silver Strikers will take a break during the FIFA International break, during which several players, including George Chikooka, Maxwell Paipi, and McDonald Lameck, will join the Malawi National football team.
The Central Bankers' next fixture is against Mafco on May 21, and they will be looking to continue their winning streak and maintain their position at the top of the table.
The TNM Super League title race is heating up, with Silver Strikers, Be Forward Wanderers, and Mafco all vying for the top spot. With 10 games remaining, it promises to be an exciting finish to the season.
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Summary: Silver Strikers defeated Chitipa United 1-0 in a TNM Super League match at Silver Stadium in Lilongwe. Chinsisi Maonga scored the only goal of the game in the 30th minute, finishing off a cross by Zebron Kalima. Despite creating several chances, Silver Strikers could not increase their lead, and the win was not as comfortable as they would have liked. Coach Peter Mgangira was pleased with the victory but felt his team should have scored more to make the win more convincing. The team will take a break during the FIFA International break, with several players joining the Malawi National football team.
