Karen Chawula, the first-ever female coach in the men’s top-flight league in Malawi, earned her first point on Sunday.
Her Ntopwa FC drew 0-0 with Ekwendeni Hammers in the TNM Super League match played in Bantyre.
Reflecting on the game, Chawura said: “Ekwendeni were quicker on the ball than us and I think we need a play-maker to improve our attack.”
Chawura started her reign on a bad note the previous weekend in the Northern Region where Ntopwa lost 2-0 to Chitipa United and 3-1 to Karonga United at Karonga Stadium.
Ntopwa are in the relegation zone, placed on position 14 with 15 points from 18 games. Bottom-three teams get relegated at the end of a season.
In other games played this weekend, all away teams—leaders Silver Strikers, Mighty Wanderers, Ekwendeni Hammers, Mighty Tigers and Mzuzu Warriors—lost on Saturday.
Wanderers lost 2-0 to Karonga United when Anthony Mfune and Crispin Mhangana scored for the hosts who are on position six with 27 points from 17 games.
Wanderers moved to fourth (28 points from 18 games) on the ladder after beating Chitipa United 2-0 on Sunday at the same venue.
Midfielder Vitumbiko Kumwenda and Mischeck Botomani scored for the visitors in the process pushing Chitipa to fourth from bottom on 16 points from 17 matches.
On Saturday, striker Hassan Kajoke and winger McFarlen Mgwira scored for second-placed Nyasa Big Bullets at Kamuzu Stadium in the 2-0 win over the fifth-ranked Hammers (27 points from 18 games).
The holders Bullets moved to within two points of Silver who have 38 points with a game in hand, with the Bankers having been stunned 1-0 by Anthony Chizingas strike for TN Stars at Kasungu Stadium on Saturday.
In Lilongwe, Muhamad Sulumba’s goal handed third-positioned Civil Service FC a 1-0 win over second-from basement Tigers who have 14 points from 17 matches whereas the civil servants have 29 points.
Elsewhere, Chifuniro Mpinganjira’s brace handed Blue Eagles a 2-0 win over basement side Mzuzu Warriors to the delight of coach Gerald Phiri Senior, whose charges are on 12th place with 19 points from 17 games.
In a post-match interview, Phiri said: “A good game. A game of two halves. We controlled the proceedings in the first-half where we managed to score our two goals through Chifuniro Mpinganjira. In the second-half, we changed the game altogether. Mzuzu was a changed team. They played in our half the whole second-half but all in all it wasn’t about playing good football. It was about collecting three points.”
On Sunday, Warriors lost by a similar margin to Kamuzu Barracks FC who scored through Kelvin Hanganda and Fransisco Kamdzeka, as the Lilongwe soldiers stayed 11th with 20 points from 17 matches. Warriors have 14 points from 18 games.
On the same day, Moyale Barracks FC had a bad outing to the Central Region where they lost 2-0 to fellow soldiers Mafco FC, who are on fifth slot with 25 points from 17 outings.