Binwell Katinji steals it for Silver but Dedza deserves something better

TNM Super League between Silver Strikers and Dedza Dynamos was a clash with unyielding ferocity, a narrative unfolded this past Wednesday that transcended mere statistics.

Dedza Dynamos, a side beleaguered by a barren run of four goalless league encounters and staring down the formidable Silver Strikers – an unvanquished leviathan in their last 12 league fixtures and unbowed at their Silver Stadium fortress since 2022 – dared to defy the prevailing wisdom.

They returned to their humble abode sans points, a solitary goal conceded the only tangible souvenir, yet imbued with an intangible treasure: unwavering confidence and a burgeoning belief in the embryonic blueprint of coach Alex Ngwira.

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The script seemed preordained for another Silver Strikers coronation. Having just endured a grueling weekend double-header, the Bankers’ technical panel offered the familiar lament of fatigue. Yet, it was Dedza, the perceived underdog, who choreographed a performance that left the pundits agog and the defending champions visibly unsettled.

It’s a game that we played very well, and we created so many chances,” a philosophical Alex Ngwira confided to journalists after the agonizing 2-1 defeat.

“Had it been that it was Silver who created those chances, they would have punished us so much. We are happy with the way we played; there are so many positives to build on. We need time; our supporters need to be patient.”

Indeed, patience is a virtue often in short supply in the cutthroat arena of professional football, especially for a team hovering perilously close to the relegation precipice, just a solitary point above the drop zone.

The opening salvo belonged to Silver. Their early goal, a quintessential display of their fluid, possession-based artistry, seemed to signal the inevitable.

Macdonald Lameck, a modern fullback of boundless energy and audacious runs, proved a perpetual thorn in Dedza’s side, a veritable express train down the flank. His tireless forays culminated in the opening strike, as he carved through the Dedza defense before pinpointing Chinsisi Maonga, who clinically dispatched the ball into the net.

The visitors, particularly Frank Chikufenji’s flank, initially wobbled under the Silver onslaught. But then, a moment of strategic genius, or perhaps serendipity born of necessity, shifted the tectonic plates of the match.

Just before the half-hour mark, Ngwira, in a calculated gamble, executed a double substitution. An unfortunate injury forced Otchaya Okoti off for Wellington Chimutu, but the tactical masterstroke was the introduction of David Habu for the beleaguered Frank Chikufenji. This was the pivot, the fulcrum upon which Dedza’s resurgence would hinge. From that moment, a new, more formidable Dedza Dynamos emerged, brimming with purpose and premium quality.

Marco Chiwaya: excellent but not good enough to down Silver

While the final scoreline favored Silver, one individual transcended the outcome: Marco Chiwaya. A diminutive figure off the ball, he transformed into a towering colossus with it. Deployed not as a pure number 10, but as a twin striker alongside the off-form Chifuniro Mpinganjira, Chiwaya orchestrated a symphony of torment for the Silver defense.

Ngwira’s fervent cry from the touchline – “mpatse Chiwaya!” (give it to Chiwaya!) – became the unofficial anthem of Dedza’s spirited fightback, a testament to the young maestro’s burgeoning influence.

Dedza Dynamos, for all their struggles, have a commendable track record of unearthing and nurturing raw talent, a pipeline of future stars. Chiwaya, with his incandescent performance, has firmly etched his name in that illustrious company.

Yet, as Ngwira candidly admitted post-match, the perennial challenge lies in replacing these gems once they are inevitably poached by wealthier clubs.

“Even the one who orchestrated Silver’s second goal [Charles Chipala] was made in Dedza,” Ngwira lamented. “We are not able to replace the players, but with this kind of performance, I am sure that we will have a good team in the second round of the league. We just need time.”

With their newfound equilibrium, an equalizer for Dedza was not a question of if, but when. And it was the day’s undisputed star, Marco Chiwaya, who ascended majestically to thunder home Gift Magola’s corner kick, igniting the Dedza faithful and silencing the home crowd.

Chiwaya very nearly snatched the lead before the break, denied only by the desperate heroics of Nixon Mwase and his defensive cohorts. A contentious penalty appeal, where Chiwaya was seemingly upended by Mwase after a sublime lift over George Chikooka, sent the Dedza bench into a paroxysm of fury. Yet, in the absence of the infallible eye of Video Assistant Referee technology in Malawi, the referee’s word remained law.

Silver’s fortune and Dedza’s unfulfilled promise

The second half saw Dedza return with undiminished zeal, their anger palpable, their ambition unyielding. But alas, their limited firepower from the bench ultimately betrayed them.

Silver, in stark contrast, possessed the luxury of game-changing reinforcements. Their reliance on Macdonald Lameck’s marauding runs became starkly evident as chances dwindled when his influence waned. With 30 minutes remaining, Binwell Katinji was unleashed, replacing a defender and adding a crucial attacking dimension.

Meanwhile, the middle of the park remained a battleground, with Edward Dakalira a granite-like presence in Dedza’s defensive midfield and Lughano Kayira a defiant leader in central defense.

Silver, finding the direct route blocked, had to recalibrate, to conjure a Plan B. That plan manifested in the introductions of Precious Sambani and Charles Chipala. It was Chipala, a product of Dedza’s own youth system, who delivered the decisive blow.

His incisive cross from the byline found Katinji, who clinically tucked it away with just ten minutes left on the clock. It was a goal that extinguished Dedza’s valiant hopes of securing a precious point, yet simultaneously propelled Silver to within three points of second-placed FCB Nyasa Big Bullets.

Alex Ngwira’s impassioned plea for time resonates deeply, yet the unforgiving nature of the league table offers little solace. Twelfth in the standings, precariously perched just a point above the relegation abyss, Dedza Dynamos will conclude their first-round campaign with a daunting away fixture against Moyale Barracks. The scoreboard reflected a defeat, Dedza’s performance at Silver Stadium was a testament to their burgeoning potential, a promise of a brighter future if only they are afforded the time and patience their coach so desperately craves.