Ntaja United managed to avoid their third consecutive defeat in the NBS Bank National Division League, securing a 1-1 draw against Namitete Zitha at Balaka Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Prince Mwase’s 90th-minute equalizer canceled out an earlier goal from Andy Donda in the 9th minute. This result denied Zitha the top spot, as a win would have placed them two points ahead of Red Lions.
Zitha’s head coach, Richard Fosiko, expressed his frustration with the officiating, claiming it favored the hosts. “It’s not a clean equalizer, the referees have done what they wanted, and everyone saw that they were biased in this game,” said Fosiko. “It was never a corner kick because the goalkeeper made no contact, but he gave them an advantage.”
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Conversely, Ntaja United’s team manager, Joseph Chopi, admitted his team’s poor performance in the first half but praised their improved play in the second. “We lost many balls in the first half, but in the second half, we went for down ball which worked for us,” Chopi explained. “Towards the end, we felt that if we had played like that from the start, we could have scored more goals.”
The draw moves Zitha up to second place on the table with 19 points from five wins, four draws, and one defeat. Ntaja United remains in ninth place with 11 points from three wins, two draws, and five defeats.
Mchinji Villa Extends Unbeaten Streak
In another match, Mchinji Villa extended their unbeaten run to three games after a hard-fought 0-0 away draw against Ndirande Stars at Mpira Stadium.
Both teams have shown significant improvement after difficult starts to the season. However, neither side could break down the opposing defense to secure a goal.
Villa’s head coach, Supiliyano Adriano, called the draw a fair result. “It was a good game and both teams played very well, created chances, but we all never got the goals, so I would say a draw is a fair result,” Adriano commented.
Ndirande Stars’ head coach, Robert Daudi, lamented his team’s missed opportunities. “It was a tough game as our friends also played well, and we got good chances that could have won us the game, but unfortunately we missed them,” said Daudi.
Villa sits in 10th place with 10 points from two wins, four draws, and four defeats. Stars, meanwhile, have moved up to seventh place with 13 points from three wins, four draws, and three losses.
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