Alex Ngwira blasts strikers as Dedza fire blanks again in defeat to Hammers

Dedza Dynamos head coach Alex Ngwira has blasted his strikers for failing to score in their ‘painful’ 1-0 defeat to Mzuzu City Hammers on Wednesday afternoon.

Dedza suffered a third straight defeat as Alex Orotomal scored the only goal for Hammers, condemning Dedza to their 11th loss of the season.

MORE NEWS FROM WAMPIRA

The result compounds Dedza’s ongoing struggle to convert chances. They have now failed to score in 12 games out of their 20 league matches this season, managing just 16 goals while conceding 25.

Following the defeat, Dedza sit just three points above the relegation zone, with pressure mounting once again on the team that secured a sponsorship deal with Goshen City earlier this season.

When pressed after the game, Ngwira said his strikers are not helping the team, highlighting that they failed to utilize three clear chances against Hammers.

“It is a very, very painful loss. We didn’t expect this even before coming here to Mzuzu. We thought we could get a goal, but we conceded an easy goal because the ball was in the hands of the goalkeeper and we don’t know what he was thinking,” said Ngwira.

“That’s where things went wrong altogether. When you’re thinking that things are fine and then you make a mistake which turns into a goal.

“Otherwise, I would summarize it as a game where we had more chances than our opponents. We could have gone maybe 3-0 up in the first half but we couldn’t take those chances. In the second half, our friends came up with better ideas and that’s when the guy who scored just made a follow-up to put it away.

“If you’ve been following us, we have had insufficient numbers up front and I think that’s our main problem. Otherwise, in midfield and defense we are okay.”

On the relegation battle, Ngwira remained optimistic. “I think we will survive. The league is getting tougher but I believe we will survive.

“We have a number of games at home and we will try to get all the points at home. Even away, we will try to get some points.

Dedza have 10 games remaining in their campaign. They will face Mafco FC, Silver Strikers, Mighty Tigers, Creck Sporting Club, and Moyale Barracks at home.

Away fixtures include trips to face Chitipa United, Songwe Border FC, Karonga United, Ekwendeni Hammers and Civil Service United.

With 10 games remaining, Dedza Dynamos currently sit on 21 points from 20 matches, with a record of 5 wins, 6 draws and 11 defeats. Their goal difference of minus 9 (16 scored, 25 conceded) reflects struggles at both ends of the pitch, though their defensive record is relatively respectable compared to their anemic attack.

Dedza’s primary problem is abundantly clear: they cannot score goals consistently. Failing to find the net in 12 of 20 games—a 60 percent goal drought rate—is devastating for any team. With just 16 goals scored, they average only 0.8 goals per game, one of the lowest rates in the league.

As Ngwira acknowledged after the Hammers defeat, the team creates opportunities but cannot finish them. Three clear chances against a struggling Mzuzu side yielded nothing—a microcosm of their entire season. The coach’s admission that they have “insufficient numbers up front” suggests this problem may persist without reinforcements.

“Top Eight: An Unrealistic Target but possible”

While Ngwira focuses on survival in his public comments, any discussion of a top-eight finish must confront harsh mathematical realities.

Based on typical league patterns, a top-eight finish usually requires between 40-45 points. Dedza currently sit on 21 points with 10 games remaining. To reach even the lower threshold of 40 points, they would need 19 points from their final 10 matches—essentially requiring 6 wins and 1 draw, or a similar combination yielding 19 points.

This represents a success rate of approximately 63 percent. For context, Dedza’s current win rate is 25 percent. They would need to more than double their performance level while simultaneously solving a scoring crisis that has plagued them for the entire season.

Consider the mathematics more closely. If Dedza maintain their current form and win 2-3 of their remaining games while drawing 2-3 others, they would finish on approximately 29-32 points. This would likely place them between 12th and 14th position—nowhere near the top eight.

Even in an optimistic scenario where they significantly improve and win 4 games while drawing 3, they would reach only 36 points—still short of top-eight territory and requiring a transformation that seems implausible given their striker woes.

Ngwira is wise to frame his ambitions around survival rather than top-eight aspirations. Currently sitting just three points above the relegation zone with 10 games remaining, Dedza need approximately 8-12 more points to guarantee safety—a target requiring 2-3 wins and 2-4 draws.

This is achievable, though far from guaranteed given their current form. Their home fixtures against Mighty Tigers, Creck Sporting Club, and Moyale Barracks represent realistic opportunities for victories. Drawing against Mafco FC and stealing points from mid-table teams could provide the cushion they need.

However, their inability to score remains a serious threat even to survival hopes. You cannot win games without scoring goals, and Dedza have proven incapable of finding the net 60 percent of the time.