Malawi’s elite league champions Nyasa Big Bullets came from behind to force a 1-1 draw with their Ugandan counterparts Express FC at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania on Wednesday evening.
It was the second consecutive draw for Bullets who now have to win at all cost their forthcoming final Group A game against South Sudan’s Altabara FC to progress to the Cecafa Kagame Cup semifinals.
Bullets are second from bottom of the group with two points from two games whereas Express lead for now on four points subject to the result of Yanga versus Altabara of South Sudan who were meeting as we went to press.
Just like in Monday’s game which ended 1-1 against Yanga at the same venue, Bullets found themselves trailing to Muzamiru Mutyaba’s goal in the fifth minute after he beat a defender to slot past goalkeeper Ernest Kakhobwe.
Cecafa website reports that Express should have doubled the advantage but Martin Kizza failed to score while on the other end, Bullets captain Chimwemwe Idana and Hassan Kajoke followed suit in emulating the bad example of failing to locate the target.
Express carried their slender lead into the second half and were made to pay for it as Chiukepo Msowoya came off the bench to score for Bullets in what was his second goal of the tournament having also salvaged a point for the guest participants in the game against Yanga..
Ahead of the game, Bullets stand-in coach Peter Mponda had dropped striker Msowoya, left-back Yamikani Fodya and goalkeeper Rabson Chiyenda to the bench in favour of Chimango Kaira, Eric Kaonga and Kakhobwe.
The two teams were meeting for the first time-ever in all competitions.
In a post-match interview, Mponda is reported to have said: “Express played well and did not give us the space to play our kind of football. We need to improve on the concentration levels because we are giving away goals.”
Starting line-ups:
Bullets: Ernest Kakhobwe, Eric Kaonga, Miracle Gabeya, Gomezgani Chirwa, Nixon Nyasulu, Babatunde Adepoju, Chimango Kaira, Chimwemwe Idana, Ben Manyozo, Bright Munthali, McFarlen Mgwira
Express: Mutakubwa, Walusimbi, Kiguundu, Lumu, Juuko, Kakooza, Byamukama, Mutyaba, Kizza, Lwesibawa, Kambale