“Don’t lose hope” – Songwe’s interim coach hopes to rescue team from relegation

Songwe Border United finally secured their first win of the 2025 TNM Super League season, stunning fellow northerners Chitipa United 1-0 on Wednesday afternoon at Karonga Stadium.

Owen Mwangonde’s solitary strike guided the Ndenga Boys to a historic victory in their 20th match of the campaign, taking their points tally to five and offering a glimmer of hope in what has been a dismal season.

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Interim coach Edwin Kaonga expressed cautious optimism following the breakthrough result, insisting that his side can still fight their way to safety despite their precarious position at the bottom of the table.

“We have managed to get the first three points and we are very happy,” said Kaonga. “It’s just about the organization and the coordination between the players, the technical staff and the executive. The unity has made us win this game.”

The caretaker coach revealed that his team had identified Chitipa’s potential complacency as a weakness to exploit.

“The preparation itself, we prepared very well for this win and I knew that Chitipa would underrate us. We have taken advantage of that to get three points,” he explained.

Looking ahead to the remaining fixtures, Kaonga urged everyone associated with the club to maintain belief in their survival chances.

“As far as we can continue with this spirit which we have shown today, it’s possible. Any game which is coming ahead of us, we can make it. I’m just urging the executive and the players to keep on pushing and not losing hope,” he said.

Songwe United have endured a nightmarish campaign, with the worst defensive record in the league. They have conceded 51 goals while managing just eight at the other end, leaving them firmly rooted to the bottom of the standings with a record of one win, two draws, and 17 defeats from 20 matches.

The statistics paint a grim picture. Before Wednesday’s victory, Songwe had lost 13 of their previous 14 matches, with their only point in that run coming from a draw against Mighty Tigers.

With 10 matches remaining to complete their season, Songwe face a daunting task. Their run-in includes five away games and five home fixtures.

On the road, they must travel to Blantyre to face Mighty Wanderers and Mighty Tigers, head to the Central Region to take on Mafco FC and Silver Strikers, and visit Mzuzu to play Moyale Barracks.

At home, Songwe will host Civil Service United, Ekwendeni Hammers, Blue Eagles, Mzuzu City Hammers, and Creck Sporting Club.

Whether this maiden victory proves to be a turning point or merely a brief respite in a relegation battle remains to be seen, but for now, the Ndenga Boys can celebrate a historic moment and cling to hope that more points will follow.

“Survival chances look all but gone”

Despite Kaonga’s rallying cry, the mathematics of Songwe’s predicament paint a grim picture of their survival prospects. With just five points from 20 matches, they are averaging 0.25 points per game, a rate that would see them finish the season with fewer than eight points.

To have any realistic chance of avoiding relegation, Songwe would likely need to accumulate between 25 and 30 points by season’s end. Even at the lower threshold of 25 points, they would need to collect 20 points from their final 10 matches, requiring approximately six or seven wins and one or two draws.

For a team that has managed just one victory in 20 attempts and has lost 13 of their last 14 matches, such a transformation would be nothing short of miraculous. Their defensive frailties, having conceded 51 goals at an average of 2.55 per game, suggest systemic problems that cannot be fixed overnight.

The fixture list offers little encouragement. Away trips to established sides like Mighty Wanderers and Silver Strikers, as well as a visit to Mafco FC, represent formidable challenges for a team that has struggled throughout the campaign.

While Wednesday’s victory offers a brief moment of joy and a psychological boost, Songwe Border United would need to suddenly perform at a mid-table level for the remainder of the season to have any chance of survival.

On current form and statistical evidence, their chances of avoiding relegation appear to be less than five percent, barring extraordinary circumstances or a dramatic improvement that defies everything they have shown so far this season.