Mkandawire brace inspires Ascent past Moyale, tightens golden boot race

Ascent Academy forward Mayamiko Mkandawire has set her sights on the golden boot in the National Bank of Malawi National Women’s Premiership after keeping pace with current top scorer Deborah Henry, as her two goals against Moyale Sisters took her tally to eight goals in the league.

Mkandawire’s goals were vital as they helped the team come from a goal down to claim a 3-1 win at Rumphi Stadium on Wednesday and maintain their five-point gap behind leaders Silver Strikers Ladies.

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In the game, Maurine Phiri scored first for the Northerners as they led at halftime, but Margaret Chavula levelled in the 57th minute before Mkandawire put the capital city stars ahead two minutes later and completed her brace in the 86th minute.

Head coach for Ascent, Thom Nkolongo, was however not pleased with his team’s start to the game.

“I think the problem with most players in the team is that they underestimate other teams, so we started poorly and we conceded the goal. That’s when they knew they needed to be more serious,” said Nkolongo.

He also downplayed any pressure among the players, saying the team focuses primarily on player development rather than results.

“What we want is to develop players that will represent our country, so we play games normally whether under pressure or not. We will stick to that. Player development is what we are focusing on,” added Nkolongo.

On his part, assistant head coach for the hosts, Omah Ganizani Vuwa, said his team lost composure in the second half and failed to hold onto their lead.

“It was a balanced game. We played very well in the first half where we got a chance and scored, but in the second half the players became overconfident and our opponents scored three goals,” said Vuwa.

The Lilongwe giants are second in the league with 19 points from six wins, one draw and one defeat—five points behind Silver Strikers Ladies. Moyale Sisters have dropped to ninth with four points from eight games.

Golden Boot Race Heats Up

Mkandawire has now closed the gap on Deborah Henry, with just two goals separating the two forwards in the golden boot race.

The Ascent Academy striker has been in prolific form throughout the season. She scored one goal against Topik Academy in the opening week and a brace against Mighty Wanderers Women in week two. She added another double against FCB Nyasa Big Bullets Women in week five, found the net once against MDF Lioness in week seven, and now has two goals against Moyale Sisters to her name.

With eight goals from eight games, Mkandawire is averaging a goal per game—a remarkable strike rate that puts her firmly in contention for the golden boot as the season progresses.