…….Kawinga 4(0)-(0)5Bullets
By Edwin Mbewe
LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-FCB Nyasa Big Bullets Reserve football club on Sunday, December 3, 2023, stunned Kawinga 5-4 on post-match penalties after a goalless draw in regulation time to win the MK5 million Aubrey Dimba Trophy.
This was the third title for Enos Chatama’s boys in Mchinji as they have been defending the cup since 2021.
The match was highly contested and fascinating worth being a final.
Kawinga were however a better team in the first half than the Bullets only that they failed to utilize the chances they created.
In the beginning of the second half the game was at balance as Kawinga continued where they had stopped in the first stanza.
Bullets took over the dominance after 15 minutes into the second half.
Efforts were made by both teams to score and win the match in regulation time but all went in vain as the defences and goalkeeping departments were solid until the last whistle was blown by referee Chipiliro Phiri who handled the grand finale with zeal and professionalism to the satisfactory of both parties and fans who almost filled the facility.
The fate was decided through the post-match penalties. Mussah Bwanali converted the decisive kick to win Chatama’s first silverware this season.
After the match Bullets coach Enos Chatama said the game was tough and praised his boys for converting all five kicks.
“Quite a tough match we have played 10 finals in 3 years but we have never won through post-match penalties and this is the first time. All in all my boys scored five kicks and our goalkeeper saved one and we are the Champions today. The entire 90 minutes was tough despite creating some chances, they had clear chances but we survived but to say the truth they had a good game plan”,
“Winning the trophy 3 times in a row means we are getting better and better though we had so many challenges at the start of the season as we lost 11 key players who got promoted into the elite league. The project is on track as we can win silverware in the course of building the team. From today’s assessment, we need to rectify our forward as it has been proved that we have good defence having conceded 14 goals in over 30 matches we have played this season,” narrates excited Chatama.
His counterpart Kawinga Coach acknowledged the defeat saying penalties can go either way but hailed his boys for the beautiful display.
FCB Nyasa Big Bullets took home MK1.5 million, trophies and medals for being champions.
Kawinga FC received MK800,000 whilst Santhe ADMARC and Namitete Zitha who lost in the semi-finals received MK150,000 each.
Namitete Zitha captain Yohane Kamwanza won the Player of the Tournament accolade. Frank Phiri of Kawinga was later voted player of the match and received MK10,000.
The owner of the facility and trophy Aubrey Dimba was satisfied with how the trophy has been running and revealed that next year there will be an adjustment on the package of the devaluation.
He later thanked all the 16 teams who participated in the trophy across Malawi and neighboring countries Mozambique and Zambia.
