Substitute Njewa rescues 10-man Moyale from Tigers’ maul

Moyale Barracks veteran Ntopicho Njewa came off the bench to inspire a remarkable comeback, scoring a stunning free-kick and assisting another goal as the Soldiers fought back from two goals down to salvage a 2-2 draw against Blue Eagles at Mzuzu Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

The result was all the more impressive considering Moyale played the final 17 minutes with 10 men following Teaser Nyirenda’s dismissal for a professional foul.

The Kaning’ina Lions found themselves staring at a second consecutive home defeat when Blue Eagles raced into a commanding early lead. Harrison Kapata opened the scoring in the 11th minute, finishing off a well-worked move involving James Msowoya. Just four minutes later, Masambiro Kalua doubled the visitors’ advantage, leaving the home fans stunned.

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Moyale head coach Prichard Mwansa responded swiftly, introducing Njewa for Walusungu Mdoka in the 39th minute. The change had an immediate impact as Njewa set up Raphael Phiri to reduce the deficit before halftime, giving the hosts a lifeline heading into the break.

Blue Eagles also made a tactical switch, replacing Kapata with Shukurani Affick before the interval.

Moyale emerged from the break with renewed determination. Boniface Chuma tested goalkeeper Lucky Tizola with a header in the opening exchanges, while Phiri was unlucky to see his effort crash against the crossbar within the first 10 minutes of the half.

Mwansa continued to adjust his tactics, bringing on Mphatso Kasonga for Chuma after the hour mark. Blue Eagles responded with a double substitution, introducing Mwai Banda and Daniel Shadreck for Affick and Grayson Msowoya.

The match took another twist in the 73rd minute when Nyirenda was shown a red card for a professional foul near the edge of the penalty area. Blue Eagles failed to capitalize on the resulting free-kick, and that miss would prove costly.

Three minutes later, Njewa produced a moment of brilliance, unleashing a thunderous free-kick from 47 meters out that flew past Tizola to level the scores at 2-2. The spectacular equalizer sent the home crowd into raptures.

Blue Eagles made a late substitution, with Joseph Balakasi replacing James Msowoya, but neither side could find a winner in the closing stages.

Mixed Reactions

Moyale coach Prichard Mwansa expressed frustration despite the dramatic comeback, emphasizing the need for home victories.

“We had good preparation for this game, but we made mistakes inside 15 minutes which Tigers utilized. We came back into the game to rescue a point, however, I’m not happy with the point as we need to be winning at home,” Mwansa said.

Blue Eagles team manager White Suzumire was left disappointed after his side failed to hold onto their commanding lead.

“We lost against Hammers last Wednesday, and in this game, our players gave us big hope in the first half but we conceded two cheap goals. This is quite disappointing,” Suzumire said.

The Kaukau Boys had targeted at least four points from their northern trip but will return empty-handed.

The draw lifts Moyale to 20 points from 19 games, placing them 13th in the table with four wins, eight draws, and seven losses.

Blue Eagles remain in precarious 14th position with 17 points from four wins, five draws, and 10 defeats. A victory would have seen them leapfrog Moyale and escape the relegation zone, making the late collapse even more painful.

Final Score: Moyale Barracks 2-2 Blue Eagles

Scorers:
Moyale Barracks: Raphael Phiri 45’+, Ntopicho Njewa 76′
Blue Eagles: Harrison Kapata 11′, Masambiro Kalua 15′

Man of the Match: Ntopicho Njewa (Moyale Barracks)