Mighty Mukuru Wanderers mentor Meck Mwase has backed his charges after the Nomads narrowly edged out Bangwe All Stars 1-0 in the first leg of the Airtel Top 8 at Kamuzu Stadium Sunday.
Attacker Isaac Kaliati converted a penalty in added time of the first half following a handball in the 18-yard box.
Wanderers wasted a lot of chances especially in the first half, with Cameroonian forward Sama Thierry Tanjong guilty on some occasions.
However, Mwase said the most important thing was the win and a clean sheet.
“We played well, especially in the first half where we created a lot of chances. In the second half, we knew they would come hard on us since they were trailing.
“We made sure to contain them to win the game. We will continue working on our shortfalls to progress to the next round. Otherwise, the most important thing was to win,” Mwase said.
In the first half, Bangwe goalkeeper Elias Missi made a number of saves to deny Kaliati and Sama goals.
It was turning out to be a frustrating afternoon but Wanderers were finally rewarded for their pressure when one of Bangwe’s defenders handled in the box.
Kaliati stepped up and made no mistake to give the 2022 Airtel Top 8 winners victory.
In the second half, Bangwe pushed for an equaliser but Wanderers were solid in defence and managed to hold on to a slender victory.
Bangwe Coach Trevor Kajawa said their plan was affected when Wanderers earned a penalty.
“It was a game of two halves. In the first half, we wanted to frustrate Wanderers and we were playing more defensive because we wanted to contain them. We wanted to get a goal; unfortunately, in the dying minutes of the first half, they scored.
“In the second half, we told our players to go flat out. We changed the formation and we pushed in two attackers but we did not get a goal,” he said.
In another match, Trouble Kajani scored a brace as Chitipa United defeated Kamuzu Barracks 2-0 at Karonga Stadium.
On Saturday, FCB Nyasa Big Bullets started their Airtel Top 8 title defence with a 2-0 victory over Civil Service United at Kamuzu Stadium.
Stanley Billiat and Chawanangwa Gumbo scored for the People’s Team.
During the game, Bullets squandered several chances in the first half.
Meanwhile, Silver Strikers will start their campaign on Wednesday when they face Premier Bet Dedza Dynamos at Silver Stadium.
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