* We came through and won the cup which sets a platform for Mighty Wanderers moving forward—Coach Mark Harrison
* For the last few years, the team has been desperate for a trophy and now we have to build ahead of next season
* Thom Mpinganjira revels in Wanderers’ Airtel Top 8 triumph by gifting them to share all of 17.5m prize money
Analysis by Twimepoki Mangani, MANA & Duncan Mlanjira, Maravi Express
Having had a wonderful run in the 2022 Airtel Top 8 competition that culminated into beating their arch rivals Nyasa Big Bullets in the final — albeit after post match penalties — Mighty Wanderers can be hopeful of a rejuvenated future ahead of the 2023 season.
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The Nomads’ newly-engaged British coach, Mark Harrison expressed confidence of the upcoming TNM Super League season having gone through a long silverware drought to ensure they are at par with their rivals — who before the Airtel Top 8 were gunning for a treble.
“We came through and won the cup which sets a platform for Mighty Wanderers moving forward,” Harrison told Malawi News Agency (MANA). “For the last few years, the team has been desperate for a trophy and now we have to build ahead of next season.
“When you look at the league, there was a big gap between us and Bullets in the 2022 TNM Super League. “We have this won the cup but for us to go and win the league next season might be a big ask.
“We have to strengthen and that’s what we are doing so that we can go out and compete,” Harrison said.
Mighty Wanderers, who before the Saturday final had not beaten their arch rivals Nyasa Big Bullets in a cup competition in four years, ended their trophy drought by triumphing 5-3 after post match penalties.
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Before the match, statistics did not favour the Nomads in the past 10 years, in which they only managed two cup victories over their arch rivals — with the first one being a 5-4 penalty shootout victory in 2012 and in Standard Bank Cup semi-finals at Silver Stadium in Lilongwe.
The Nomads also managed to beat Bullets 2-1 in 2015 in the Carlsberg Cup final at Civo Stadium in Lilongwe and since then, it has been the Bullets all the time.
They beat Wanderers 5-4 in 2017 Carlsberg Cup after a 2-2 stalemate in regulation time and it was the same in 2018 as Bullets beat Wanderers 2-1 in the Airtel Top 8 semi-finals played at Bingu National Stadium.
Last year Bullets denied Wanderers silverware again — beating their bitter rivals 4-1 in Airtel Top 8 semis and ahead of the final on Sunday, the Nomads were haunted by a 0-4 clobbering they suffered in the FDH Bank Cup semis at the same Bingu National Stadium — in under 50 days.
However, the triumph was a befitting one for the Nomads, who dominated their rivals in every department after going into the match as underdogs.
They proved they wanted the cup more than their opponents, as they showed more hunger than Bullets. In fact, Wanderers should have wrapped up the game in the regulation time.
Looking back at the exhilarating victory, coach Harrison acknowledged the threat and challenge which the TNM Super League champions brought during the final.
“It was a difficult game — in the first half they had better possession of the game, while in the second half we knew the game would open and then we were able to play however both teams deserved to have won on the day,” he said.
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Assistant coach, Bob Mpinganjira highlighted the diversity of play which the team are playing, stating that they have done a lot of adjusting and hope to recruit new players.
“We have changed the way we are playing our football we now are possession oriented,” he told MANA. “As you know at the end of every season, teams want to change how they look.
“We have experienced players like Muhammad Sulumba and Chiukepo Msowoya, however we shall be looking for younger players as well,” he said.
The Nomads have since roped in Civil Service FC striker, Christopher Kumwembe, who completed the signing of a three-term contract on Saturday in Lilongwe before the Airtel Top 8 encounter.
Nyasa Big Bullets coach, Zimbabwean Calisto Pasuwa congratulated the Nomads, confessing that the Nomads indeed were hungry for a silverware.
“It was a good game played by two teams who wanted to take the cup but well done to Wanderers — they were hungry and dominated us in areas we normally dominate,” he said.
Meanwhile, Mighty Wanderers FC 2021 Ltd president, Thomsom Mpinganjira was over the moon and declared that the K17.5 million prize money sholuld be shared amongst the players.
Mpinganjira met the team soon after travelling back to base in Blantyre and hosted them to a party at at his Nyambadwe residence.
Reacting to Wanderers’s victory, Nyasa Big Bullets fan, Hope Mezuwa confessed that the Nomads “were a better side” than the People’s Team.
He wrote on Facebook: Your new coach featured Chiukepo, Mpinganjira and Manyozo as starters and they didn’t disappoint. He did the same against Blue Eagles.
“This is what Alex Ngwira didn’t do. You will be a bigger force next season, no doubt. Keep doing what works if you want to continue getting results that please you.”
Wanderers’ British tactician has not lost since taking over from redeployed coach Alex Ngwira after arriving at Lali Lubani Road as technical director.
Harrison has steered the Nomads to the Airtel Top 8 final with a clean sheet — having beaten Mafco 2-0 in both the first and second leg before another 2-0 win over Blue Eagles in semifinals.
On Facebook, Evans Onesimus Nyama singled out exceptional performance from Wisdom Mpinganjira, saying: “I honestly didn’t know that he is such a talented player until today! I’ve been under-estimating him but mmmm this young man has a bright future!!”
To which Henry Noniwa agreed, saying the player is “very skilled young man” who managed Gomezgani Chirwa not to move freely like he always does against other teams.
Henry Daudi said the triumph couldn’t have come at a better stage than beating their arch rivals — “who also happened to be the defending champions”.
Meanwhile, while closing the year with an early Christmas gift, the Nomads also mourn the passing of former chairperson, Dennis Kambalame, who died in the early hours of today (Wednesday) at his house in Blantyre after a short illness.
The former chairperson served at the Lali Lubani Road from 1999-2000 and during his reign, the Nomads managed to win the now defunct Carlsberg Cup.
Born in 1948, the late Kambalame was 74 at the time of his death and is expected to be laid to rest at CI cemetery in Blantyre tomorrow (Friday 23 December).
In his tribute, soccer pundit, Matthews Kamau Kimu described Kambalame as “one of the finest chairmen at Wanderers — may his soul Rest In Peace”.—Additional info by Fam.mw
