Silver Women beat Ascent to go top as Wanderers return to winning ways

Silver Strikers Women maintained their perfect start in the National Bank of Malawi National Women’s Premiership with an impressive 2-1 win over Ascent Academy at the Ascent Ground on Sunday afternoon. The victory moved them to the top of the standings.

The two teams played a goalless first half before Deborah Henry opened the scoring in the 46th minute. Just three minutes later, Leticia Chinyamula leveled the scores for the hosts. However, Henry secured the winner with her second goal of the day in the 61st minute to seal the victory for Silver.

Silver Strikers’ Head Coach, Andrew Chikhosi, stated that the win did not come easily, as Ascent are a strong rival. “It’s good that we have won, but it was a very tough match, as Ascent is a good team and when we face each other, we are like rivals. I’m happy that we tried hard and got a win,” Chikhosi said.

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On his part, Ascent Academy’s Thom Nkolongo said his team performed poorly in defense, which allowed Silver to penetrate. “We didn’t play well, mostly in the second half, as we had problems in the defense and allowed Silver to attack us. We failed to contain them, but a league is a marathon. We will sit down and look into our mistakes so that we bounce back stronger,” said Nkolongo.

The victory means Silver Strikers have nine points from three wins, putting them at the top of the league. Ascent dropped to third with six points from two wins and one defeat.

In Mzuzu, Civil Service Women missed a chance to claim their first win of the season after being held to a 1-1 draw against Moyale Sisters at Mzuzu Stadium. This was Civil’s third draw in as many matches.

Vitumbiko Mkandawire opened the scoring in the 21st minute with a powerful shot after being set up by Bernadetter Nyenga. The hosts, however, scored their first goal of the tournament through Tricia Nkhata in the 47th minute, earning their first point of the league.

The visitors’ Head Coach, Linda Kasenda, said her team missed many chances, which is why they failed to win the game. “We were supposed to win this game, but we missed a lot of chances. We just have to sort out these problems so that we get our first win in the coming match,” Kasenda said.

On his part, John Chimwala of Moyale Sisters said his side is improving and hopes they will maintain their performance in their forthcoming matches. “I would say we have greatly improved because we began the league on a very low note. Now claiming a point means we are progressing and adapting to the league,” said Chimwala.

The result means Civil Women are sixth on the table with three points from three draws, while Moyale remain ninth with just one point from one draw and two defeats.

Wanderers Return to Winning Ways with Comeback Victory

Meanwhile, Mighty Wanderers Women produced a massive comeback to beat Topik Academy 3-1, returning to winning ways in an early kickoff at Mzuzu Stadium.

The hosts went ahead through Rita Mwale in the 13th minute to lead at halftime. However, the Nomads came on strong in the second half. Faluna Umali forced Atupele Phiri to guide the ball into her own net in the 51st minute. Tawina Kawaga scored ten minutes later, and Atuweni Njilima added the third to seal the win.

The Nomads’ Head Coach, Thom Kazembe, said his team struggled in the first half due to poor officiating and thanked his players for a massive second-half performance. “We struggled because when we are away, it seems the officiating is against us. In the second half, we told the girls what to do, and they really did it. Thanks to them, we won,” Kazembe said.

On his part, Levi Mhone of Topik Academy said his team lost concentration after scoring a goal, which led to their failure to contain the Nomads’ intense pressure in the second half. “We played well in the first half, but in the second half, we lost concentration and were just losing the balls, so it’s a great lesson for us,” Mhone said.

The Nomads are now fourth in the league with six points from two wins and one loss, while Topik remains at the bottom of the league with no points from three defeats in their opening three matches.

The third week of the league yielded 14 goals, the most in a single week since the season began. So far, 38 goals have been scored in the opening three weeks of the league.

Silver and Kukoma Ntopwa Queens remain the only sides to have won all their games. Civil Service Women, MDF Lioness, MK Academy, Moyale Sisters, and Topik Academy are yet to record a win in the tournament.

Leticia Chinyamula of Ascent Academy tops the scoring charts with four goals. Kondawo Banda of Kukoma Ntopwa, Deborah Henry of Silver Women, and Mayamiko Mkandawire of Ascent Academy have three goals each.