Nyasa Big Bullets retain Airtel Top 8 title

Friends became foes as FCB Nyasa Big Bullets overcame Silver Strikers 4-3 on post-match penalties in Lilongwe to retain Airtel Top 8 title on Sunday.

The victory earned Peter Mponda his first cup as a stand-alone coach after his People’s Team got the better of his former employers, Silver, at a packed Bingu National Stadium.

Mponda was in charge of Silver when they also lost 1-0 to Bullets in the final of the same cup last season. This time around, he was on the winning end, thanks to forward Ephraim Kondowe’s decisive post-match spot-kick after midfielder Levison Maganizo had missed his attempt from the spot for Silver.

The two teams were locked at 1-1 after 90 minutes even though it was the Blantyre side that had an upper hand in terms of clearcut chances. Goalkeeper George Chokooka kept Silver in the game by stopping striker Babatunde Adepoju’s penalty kick for Bullets in the 14th minute.

A player for Silver had fouled Bullets’ attacker Chikumbutso Salima to earn the penalty. Malawi Flames keeper Chokooka guessed right to punch away the Nigerian’s shot from the dreaded spot. That meant the first half ended goalless.

When the second half resumed, Bullets finally went ahead through Maxwell Gastin’s strike to punish his former club. The response from coach Peter Mgangira’s club was instant. Forward Stain Davie found space in the Bullets’ box at the end of some nice passes to score the equaliser.

The two titans could not be separated in regulation time, paving the way for the penalties which saw the Blantyre-based side victorious.

Silver have now lost in three finals of the knockout cup which is competed for by teams that finished in the top-eight band of the elite league for Malawi the previous season.