Silver blame officiating in ‘controversial’ defeat to Bullets

Silver Strikers Head Coach Peter Mgangira expressed his frustration with the match officials following his side’s controversial 2-1 defeat to FCB Nyasa Big Bullets in a fiercely contested encounter.

The Central Bankers suffered their second loss of the season, both coming at the hands of the Peter Mponda’s side. The match, officiated by referee Mwayi Sungama, was marred by several contentious decisions that left the visitors feeling hard done by.

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Silver appeared poised to complete a rare double over Bullets when Andrew Joseph’s second-half strike beat goalkeeper Innocent Nyasulu to give the Bankers the lead.

The People’s Team responded through Ephraim Kondowe, who capitalized on excellent build-up play involving Hassan Kajoke. Kajoke’s pinpoint cross found Mike Mkwate, who laid the ball off for Kondowe to restore parity at 1-1.

The decisive moment arrived when Bullets were awarded a penalty that sparked heated protests from the Silver bench. The spot-kick was given after George Chikooka appeared to push Chikumbutso Salima off the ball. Hassan Kajoke stepped up to convert and put Bullets 2-1 ahead.

Goal-Line Drama

The most contentious incident occurred late in the match when Silver believed they had equalized through Charles Chipala. The striker thought he had beaten Nyasulu, but referee Sungama ruled the ball had not crossed the line.

Silver’s players surrounded the official in protest, prompting Sungama to consult his assistant, McHastings Kanjati. After the discussion, a corner kick was awarded to the Bankers instead of the goal they had claimed.

“Result not true reflection of the game, not fair”

Speaking after the match, Mgangira was diplomatic but firm in his assessment of the officiating.

“It was a good game, a fair game. Bullets came to play and Silver also came to play,” he said. “We scored in the second half but we lost concentration, and as a result they got an equalizer and scored another goal to make it 2-1.

“Let me be clear here that we are not denying the defeat, but I think the referee and the officiating team found the game tough. Some of the decisions were hard for them, but it should not be an excuse. We have lost 2-1 against Bullets, congrats to them.”

The coach added: “When the officiating is not good and favoring one side, the players become frustrated. The game was on TV, everyone has seen it. For me, the result is not a true reflection of the game. We have to accept that we have lost.”

Mgangira also addressed concerns about the physical nature of the contest: “Aggressiveness is allowed in football but fouls are not allowed. We were playing against a team where it’s always a tough game when we meet them. It wasn’t about threatening the career of some players.”

Despite the setback, Mgangira remained focused on the bigger picture: “We have lost, we have to take each game as it comes. We should make sure that we get points and see where we are going to end. The league is still open.”

Silver Strikers will have little time to dwell on the defeat as they prepare for their CAF Champions League clash against Tanzanian giants Yanga Sports Club, scheduled for October 17-19.