Chirwa Scores, Singini Shines as Wanderers Down Ekhaya

A brilliant strike from Gaddie Chirwa early in the second half handed Mighty Wanderers a hard-fought 1-0 win over Ekhaya FC in a tense TNM Super League showdown at Kamuzu Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

With both sides sitting near the top of the table, the matchup promised fireworks — and while goals were scarce, intensity and drama were not.

Wanderers came out of the blocks looking sharper, dominating the early exchanges. Their first warning shot came just three minutes in through Blessings Singini, who tested Ekhaya goalkeeper Elias Missi with a well-hit effort. Ekhaya responded with brief spells of possession, winning a couple of set pieces around the 7th minute but failing to make them count.

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The first half played out with both teams probing cautiously, exchanging possession but lacking bite in the final third. Ekhaya’s Christopher Gototo forced an early corner in the 15th minute that led to a Wanderers counter, though shots from Promise Kamwendo and Francisco Madinga didn’t trouble Missi. The Ekhaya bench was left fuming midway through the half when Hermas Masinja appeared to be tripped in the area by Timothy Silwimba, but the referee waved away the penalty appeals, much to the home crowd’s relief.

Despite a few close calls — including a dangerous free kick from Stanley Billiat and a sharp save from Missi just before the break — the teams went into halftime deadlocked at 0-0.

The breakthrough came not long after the restart. Nine minutes into the second half, Singini — who had been pulling the strings in midfield — found Chirwa in space. The forward didn’t hesitate, unleashing a long-range rocket that flew past Missi to give Wanderers a crucial 1-0 advantage in the 54th minute.

That goal shifted the momentum. Ekhaya responded with urgency, making a double substitution on 61 minutes to inject fresh legs in attack, bringing on Vincent Salawira and Clever Chikwata. Wanderers, too, tweaked their setup, with Blessings Mwalilino replacing the lively Madinga.

The hosts pushed forward in search of an equaliser, but chances were few and far between. Billiat’s powerful drive in added time missed the target, summing up a frustrating afternoon for Ekhaya. Wanderers nearly doubled their lead in the 83rd minute when Isaac Kaliati forced a spectacular save from Missi to keep his side in it.

In the dying stages, Wanderers shored things up defensively, replacing goal-scorer Chirwa with Masiya Manda. They held on resolutely despite a late scare in the 88th minute when Dalitso Khungwa’s last-ditch intervention snuffed out what looked like a clear Ekhaya chance.

Emmanuel Nyirenda picked up a yellow card for time-wasting as the Nomads ran down the clock. Billiat’s last attempt drifted just wide, and when the final whistle blew, it was Wanderers who were celebrating a massive three points.

Midfielder Blessings Singini walked away with the Player of the Match honours after a commanding performance that included the decisive assist.

(Featured image courtesy of Mighty Wanderers Media)