Civil Service United have secured their place in the top 8 of the League, and their fight for the top four is still alive after coming from behind to beat Karonga United 2-1 at the Karonga Stadium on Wednesday afternoon.
The Civil servants were down by one goal at half-time as Alfred Chizinga had put the hosts ahead in the 16th minute, but Righteous Banda’s brilliant brace helped them secure a massive win.
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Banda levelled the scores with a stunning free kick in the 56th minute before netting a 79th-minute winner with a powerful shot from outside the box to claim the man of the match award.
The win opened a five-point gap over 9th-placed Moyale Barracks, meaning the Civil servants will finish in the top 8 of the League. Meanwhile, their chances for a top-four finish remain bright as they are three points behind Blue Eagles but with a better goal difference.
They will face relegated Songwe Border United at the Chitipa Stadium in their final match on Saturday, while Blue Eagles face Silver Strikers, who are fighting for a second-place finish. Civil’s chance to finish fourth looks bright.
Head coach Abbas Makawa said it was a tough game as both teams were evenly matched with similar quality players, but a win was an important result.
“A win has given us hope that we might finish where we wanted, and I am happy that the players fought for it. I believe that we will finish fourth in the League,” said Makawa.
They are fifth in the League with 44 points from 12 wins, 8 draws and 9 defeats.
Meanwhile, Karonga United face pressure ahead of their final match against Chitipa United as they need to avoid defeat in order to stay in the top 8 after finding themselves just two points above 9th-placed Moyale Barracks.
The team needed a win or draw against Civil Service United but failed to maintain their lead, missing out on securing a top 8 place prior to the final day of the League.
Head coach Oscar Kaunda described their game against Civil as balanced but said they missed chances in the early minutes of the second half that could have easily won them the game.
He said the result has given them pressure to win their final match at any cost on Saturday.
“We anticipate a tough match against Chitipa United, but it is a must-win game for us. If we fail to win, then we might end up finding ourselves going way down from where we are now,” said Kaunda.
The Ingwina syaku Karonga are 6th in the League with 41 points from 12 wins, 5 draws and 12 defeats. They need a win or draw to secure a top-8 finish on the final day as all their challengers do not better them on goal difference.
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