…..Eagles 0-3 Silver
By Edwin Mbewe
LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-The central Bankers have progressed to the 2025 FDH Bank Cup semifinals following their commanding 3-0 victory over holders Blue Eagles on Thursday at Nankhaka Stadium in the capital, Lilongwe.
Silver Strikers, which have just qualified for the second round of the CAF Champions League, showed their class over the home side and appeared tactically outmatched.
The Bankers controlled possession for the majority of the match.
Nickson Mwase opened the scoring in the 38th minute of the first half with a powerful header after receiving a long throw-in from right-back MacDonald Lameck.
Andrew Joseph and Zebron Kalima posed a constant threat to the home side, terrorizing the Eagles defense several times in the first half.
In the 13th minute, Joseph missed a clear chance for the Bankers when he received a beautiful delivery from MacDonald Lameck but fired his effort off target.
Eagles also came close to scoring on several occasions. In the 9th minute, the home side won a free kick close to the box following a foul by Nickson Mwase on Tonic Viyuyi.
Gustavo curved the ball into the box, but Mwase rescued his side with a brilliant clearance.
In the 36th minute, Eagles captain Gilbert Chirwa sustained a head injury following a collision with a Silver player, and play was paused.
Both sides kept pushing for goals until the whistle blew for the end of the first half.
In the second half, both teams started on a high note as they looked to book their place in the semifinals.
However, it was Eagles who won a corner kick in the 49th minute following a foul on John Banda by Nickson Mwase.
Banda struck the ball into the box, but it was well defended by Maxwell Paipi.
In search of goals, Eagles coach Deklek Msakakuona made his first substitution, bringing on Lanken Mwale for Micium Mhone, who seemed off the pace, in the 54th minute.
Silver Strikers doubled their lead through new signing Ernest Petro, who cleverly connected with a long pass from Nickson Mwase in the 57th minute.
The goal energized the visitors as they controlled the game, exchanging passes in their own half while penetrating in the attacking third.
As the match progressed, Nickson Mwase, who stood firm in Silver’s defense, got injured and play was temporarily paused as medics attended to him.
Silver head coach Peter Mgangira made a triple substitution as Zebron Kalima, Binwell Katinji, and Uchizi Vunga were replaced by Stain Davie, Chinsinsi Maonga, and Chikondi Kamanga.
His opposite number, Deklek Msakakuona, responded by introducing Andrew Mapemba and Webster Mzunda for Tonic Viyuyi and John Banda.
In the 77th minute, the home team won a free kick in Silver’s half.
Lanken Mwale took it quickly but the ball went off target.
Gilbert Chirwa was seriously injured again in the 82nd minute, and play was once more paused. The coach replaced him with Matias Nyirenda.
As part of their game management, Silver coach Mgangira made two more changes, taking off MacDonald Lameck and Andrew Joseph for Emmanuel Allan and Innocent Shema.
With these changes, the Bankers, who were humiliated by Eagles in the last edition of the cup when they were knocked out in the round of 16 ensured they never surrendered their lead and secured sweet revenge over the cops.
Just minutes later, Emmanuel Allan extended Silver’s lead, putting the game beyond reach for the reigning champions.
He beat Eagles’ defenders and goalkeeper before slotting the ball into the empty net in the 90+3 minute.
Soon after the goal, the final whistle blew, confirming that Eagles had been knocked out of the competition in the quarterfinals and that the Bankers had opened their FDH Bank Cup semifinals account.
Reacting to the defeat, Blue Eagles head coach Deklek Msakakuona acknowledged the result, saying it was a difficult game in which his team struggled in many areas.
He promised to rectify their weaknesses ahead of league games and other cup competitions.
Silver Strikers head coach Peter Mgangira praised his players for their fighting spirit and for following instructions.
“We are happy we have won today and progressed to the semifinals. The boys gave their best. We will see where we finish, but we can’t talk about the championship yet,” he said.
In other quarterfinals, Check Sporting Club will play against Mighty Wanderers at Dimba Stadium in Mchinji, FCB Nyasa Big Bullets will take on Kamuzu Barracks, and Civil Service United FC will face rookies Mchinji Villa FC.
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