Eagles scratch Hammers off the FDH Bank Cup
Blue Eagles Football Club are through to the quarter finals of the 2022 edition of the FDH Bank Cup after eliminating Ekwendeni Hammers by 2 goals to 1 at Mzuzu Stadium on Saturday.
The two sides, technically scared of each other, failed to settle into the game as early as they would have wanted.
Spectators were starved of a beautiful passing game throughout the first half. Instead they watched scrappy and un-patterned football with neither of the sides enjoying stable possession.
As a result, the two sides cancelled each other out in the midfield in the first half and very few chances were created leaving the score line at 0-0 when they went for recess.
Both sides came into the second half rejuvenated and with some attacking prowess.
Goals were still hard to come by until the 72nd minute when Eagles’ Captain Schumacker Kuwali’s corner kick from the right was connected with a beautiful header by towering Gilbert Chirwa into Hammers’ net.
The hosts equalised 5 minutes later through Isaiah Nyirenda whose right footed volley from outside the 18 yard box beat goalkeeper John Soko.
Eagles brought in substitute goalkeeper Chakonda Majanga to replace John Soko in added time after 90 minutes in anticipation for penalty shootouts.
But three minutes into added time, Paul Master scored a winner for Eagles and he was voted man of the match.
Speaking to Nyasa Times after the match, Blue Eagles coach, Christopher Sibale, said it was a tough game.
“Cup games are always tough. We conceded a goal when we thought we had won it but a late goal won us the game.
“You should be able to see Blue Eagles in the finals of this cup,” remarked Sibale.
His counterpart, Etson Kadenge Mwafulirwa, said the game would go either side.
“We lost concentration in the dying minutes and in a twinkle of an eye, we conceded a goal and lost the game,” he said.
The Eagles become a sixth team to sail through to the quarter finals of the cup as two more are expected from the match involving Dedza Dynamos Salima Sugar FC and Mighty Mukuru Wanderers and another one between Nyasa Big Bullets and Moyale Barracks this Sunday at Dedza Stadium and Kamuzu Stadium, respectively.
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