* As he leads the Nankhaka side to their first win of the FDH Bank Cup after beating defending champions Nyasa Big Bullets
* He also eyes for Eagles’ immediate return to top flight TNM Super League from which they got relegated last season
By Tione Andsen, MANA
By guiding Blue Eagles to win the FDH Bank Cup 2024, coach Elia Kananji has made history of steering three clubs to win a cup competition after teams he had previously coached Mighty Wanderers and Nyasa Big Bullets.
Advertisement
And the icing for his team’s triumph yesterday at Bingu National Stadium was that they wrestled the FDH Bank Cup from the same Nyasa Big Bullets, stopping the defending champions from claiming a treble in FDH Bank Cup final matches since 2022 — and another quadruple year seems now history.
The Area 30 cops have claimed a treble over Nyasa Big Bullets in cup finals as they first beat the People’s Team 2-0 at Civo Stadium in 1995 during the defunct Chibuku Cup and Airtel Top 8 final in 2018 when they reduced them to size with a 1-0 win through a penalty scored by Stuart Mbuenge.
Yesterday, the Chipiku Premier Division side, Blue Eagles lifted the FDH Bank Cup 2024 for the first time after defeating the defending champions 3-2 on post-match penalties after the two teams were deadlocked 0-0 at the end of the regulation time.
The Eagles substitute goalkeeper, Joshua Waka turned to be hero of the day when he saved three penalties from Previous Phiri, Kenyan Clyde Senaj and Nigerian Babatunde Adepoju.
The 2024 champions converted their penalties through Andrew Junvinala, Ganizani James and Ranken Mwale while Micium Mhone and Jacob Robert failed to deliver home their spots with the Bullets scoring their penalties through Gomezgani Chirwa and Nixon Nyasulu.
The Bullets created more attacks but Eagles custodian, Brighton Munthali was marvel to watch with his reflex saves.
Advertisement
In both halves, Bullets dominated play with Ronald Chitiyo, Babatunde and Ephraim Kondowe having an attempt at Eagles goal area but they failed to elude the ever alert Munthali.
Eagles had a half chance after 19 minutes when Schumacher Kuwali’s effort hit the cross bar with Bullets stopper, Richard Chimbamba well beaten.
At the half mark Referee, David Chinoko appeared to be losing track of the proceedings as the players kept committing a lot of fouls but he was always taking lenient views.
The second half was more similar page of the first as Bullets continued piling pressure on the Nankhaka side but they still had the challenge of putting the ball at the back of the net.
With nine minutes to time, Chimbamba had a poor clearance outside the edge of the penalty but the loose ball was blasted over by Eagle’s midfielder, Laurent Banda.
Eagles coach, Kananji made a tactical change on the 89th minute when he brought out injured Munthali for Waka and it paid dividend to during the penalty shootout.
The victory over Bullets completed Eagles’ fairly tale in this year’s competition having eliminated three top flight Super League teams enroute to the final.
Along the way, they beat Silver Strikers 5-3 on post-match penalties, Baka City 3-0 and Karonga United 2-0 and they have won the FDH Bank Cup without conceding a goal in open play in five consecutive matches from the Round of 32.
Advertisement
Eagles coach Kananji praised his players for the victory: “We were determined to win the competition,” said the first coach managing a second-tier side to win the FDH Bank Cup. “Our records in the competition speak volume — we came from far and we demonstrated that we are a good team.”
Bullets coach Kalisto Pasuwa rued missed chances especially in the first half, saying: “The intensity of the match was very high. In the first half, we could have used our chances, we got.
“You can’t leave the game to go to penalties, it is anyone’s to get it. Unfortunately, we were on the other end, well done to Eagles,” he said.
The FDH Bank Cup 2024 will be remembered for more good reasons as since its inception in 2021, Eagles are the first Regional League team to win it.
Despite the defeat in Sunday’s final, Bullets are record holders of the competition having won it in 2022 and 2023, whose first champions in 2021 were Silver Strikers won it.
Blue Eagles’ coach Kananji is in total focus to reclaim the team’s rank in the top flight TNM Super League they got relegated from last year as they seem to be on right track of the Central Region Football League.
Ahead of their FDH Bank Cup Round of 32 match against Blue Eagles, Silver Strikers coach, Peter Mponda had warned his players against complacency, saying though Blue Eagles were relegated from the TNM Super League, they still have Super League qualities with them.
Advertisement
He confessed that they are still a good side playing in the lower league where they are playing well and winning their matches: “They kept all their players, and these are dangerous players that can kill a game at any point in the match.
And it came to pass as the Bankers bowed out of the cup competition after going down 5-3 in post match penalties following a goalless result in regulation time.
For this season’s Chipiku Stores Central Region Football League, there are 24 teams that were drawn into three groups of eight teams each from which top four teams from each group will qualify for the finals round.—Additional reporting by Fam.mw; editing by Maravi Express
Advertisement