Songwe grapple with league realities, Nyambose says ‘ma player nzeru alibe’

Songwe Border United FC’s maiden season in the TNM Super League is proving to be a harsh reality check. The Northern Region side, nicknamed “The Ndenga Boys,” is teetering on the brink of an ignominious record, with their current form suggesting they might be the worst-ever team promoted to the top flight in the last decade.

After just nine games, Songwe Border United have managed a solitary draw, suffering eight defeats. Their goal difference paints a grim picture: a paltry three goals scored against a staggering 25 conceded.

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This alarming performance has led many to believe that even Baka City FC, often cited as a “punching bag” in seasons past, didn’t endure such a dire start.

In a desperate bid to stave off relegation, the club recently bolstered its technical panel by bringing in seasoned coach Christopher Nyambose, formerly of Mighty Tigers and Chitipa United. However, the timing of his arrival, with the transfer window already shut, has cast a long shadow over his ability to steer this “sinking boat” to safety.

Following their recent 3-0 drubbing at the hands of Dedza Dynamos Football Club, Coach Nyambose offered a candid assessment of his squad in an interview with Wa Mpira. He minced no words, attributing the team’s struggles to a glaring lack of Super League experience.

“We have to accept the defeat, but the performance of the boys wasn’t bad,” Nyambose stated, reflecting on the Dedza match. “We managed to control the game in the first half, but we gave them [Dedza] the game in the second half.”

He elaborated on the core issue: “What happened is that, we lacked nzeru za Super League [Super League wisdom]. I have been saying this that my players are lacking experience. We created chances; Festus [Chikwezga] had a chance but failed to score, Kaziche had a chance but failed. So, if they had Super League wisdom, we could have won the game.”

Nyambose emphasized the critical difference between playing well and capitalizing on opportunities. “We are playing well, but in football, if you can’t score, nothing counts at all,” he asserted.

He contrasted his team with their opponents, highlighting the experienced players on the Dedza side. “Dedza have players who have huge experience of Super League; they knew that we were just playing.

“You could see that they had fear on us, but then, they knew that we wouldn’t do anything to harm them, anaona kuti akuopa chinthu choti sichingawalume [they saw that they were fearing something that wouldn’t bite them], just playing without that idea of punishing them.”

The coach openly admitted the team’s significant scoring woes. “We have to accept that we are having difficulties in scoring. We have now played nine games, not that we are not creating, but we don’t have players who can score. The players that I have have little experience [tinzeru tawo n’tochepa], we need to have experienced players in this team.”

“I joined the club at a time when the [transfer] window was closed. Possibly, I will try to beef up the squad with experienced players, but as for now, I will try to improve the available players.”

Despite the daunting start, Nyambose remained philosophical about the road ahead.
“We have a bright future. We have played nine games, and there are many games, 21. That’s 63 points. I don’t think that the league-winning team will reach 63 points, maybe it’s possible, but let’s wait.”