Elias Chirambo: Hammers will survive relegation, no doubt

Mzuzu City Hammers Head Coach Elias Chirambo remains confident his team will avoid relegation this season, despite their precarious position second from bottom in the league. Chirambo’s assertion comes after a “painful” 2-0 loss to FCB Nyasa Big Bullets on Thursday afternoon at Rumphi Stadium.

The Hammers put up a strong fight, holding the reigning champions until the final 12 minutes. Chikumbutso Salima broke the deadlock in the 78th minute, followed by Hassan Kajoke’s goal in the 92nd minute, sealing the win for Bullets.

Mzuzu City had a golden opportunity to take the lead in the second half when awarded a penalty, but Samson Olatibosun’s effort was saved by Bullets’ goalkeeper Innocent Nyasulu, a moment that proved to be a turning point in the match.

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“It was a good game for us because we planned well and created so many chances, even getting a penalty,” said Chirambo, who was recently reappointed head coach. “This is a painful defeat because we deserved to win. We missed the penalty that would have been a game-winner, but that’s football.”

Despite the loss, Chirambo expressed optimism about his team’s progress. “I’m confident we are improving. You’ve seen how we played today. Moving forward, other teams will face a different Hammers. Bullets won fortunately; they saw how we played.”

Chirambo concluded by reassuring fans, “We are a good team, and I’m working to improve. Our supporters shouldn’t be worried. I can’t blame the players; we are not going to be relegated, we are going to survive. We don’t have any pressure.“

The Hammers have now suffered nine defeats in 13 matches this season and have a poor record against Bullets, with this being their eighth loss in ten encounters. They have conceded 23 goals while scoring only nine.