Vunga strikes late to seal silver victory for Bankers over Creck

Uchizi Vunga struck late to secure a dramatic 2-1 victory for Silver Strikers over Creck Sporting on Tuesday, sending the Bankers back into third place as they prepare for a crucial CAF Champions League clash with Young Africa Sports Club on Saturday.

The midfielder, who has been making headlines in Tanzania following Silver’s stunning victory over Yanga, capitalized on a defensive lapse with 12 minutes remaining to seal the points at Silver Stadium.

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Emmanuel Allan had given Silver Strikers an early lead from the penalty spot, but Patrick Mupanzi equalized for the visitors just before halftime. When the match seemed destined for a 1-1 draw, Vunga found the decisive breakthrough, maintaining Silver’s remarkable home record of nearly two years without defeat.

The victory sees Silver Strikers return to third place on the log table with 39 points from 19 games, leapfrogging Karonga United who had temporarily occupied the position following their Sunday win over Mzuzu City Hammers.

Silver Strikers dominated the early exchanges, with Vunga testing Emmance Nyirenda within the opening minute after a clever header from Andrew Joseph. The relentless pressure paid off when Joseph drew a foul from Hardy Ng’andu inside the penalty area, and referee Easter Zimba pointed to the spot.

Allan made no mistake, firing a powerful shot into the top right corner to give the hosts a deserved lead.

The goal sparked Creck into life despite their obvious fatigue from a congested fixture schedule. Dalitso Nahipa forced a save from George Chikooka, while Nyirenda was called upon to deny Ernest Petro with a fine stop at the other end.

Just three minutes before the break, Creck drew level. Arnold Kiyama’s long ball found Mupanzi, who showed composure to beat the defenders and slot past Chikooka for a well-taken equalizer. The striker could have had more on another day, but Chikooka’s brilliance and occasional lapses in composure kept him to just the one goal.

The second half proved a cagey affair as both teams battled for control. Silver probed with free-kicks and corners, but Creck’s defensive duo of Talandira Chigaula and Ng’andu stood firm.

Mupanzi nearly snatched the lead for the visitors when he broke through Silver’s defense and unleashed a close-range effort, only for Chikooka to produce a stunning save.

With time running out, Vunga provided the moment of magic. Positioning himself cleverly between two defenders, he received Joseph’s pass and smashed the ball past Nyirenda from close range to restore Silver’s lead with 78 minutes on the clock.

Creck pushed for a late equalizer but couldn’t recover from the setback, suffering their first defeat in the second half of the season.

Silver Strikers were returning to their home stadium for the first time since August 2, when they played out a goalless draw with Mighty Tigers. The victory was crucial preparation for their CAF Champions League assignment in Tanzania this weekend.

For Creck Sporting, the defeat was perhaps understandable given their punishing schedule. They have played three matches in seven days, facing Mighty Tigers last Wednesday, Mighty Wanderers in a cup tie on Sunday, and Silver on Tuesday. Their request to postpone Tuesday’s match until Wednesday was rejected by the Super League of Malawi, as Silver needed Wednesday to finalize logistics before flying to Tanzania on Thursday.

Creck missed suspended goalkeeper Brighton Munthali, with Nyirenda facing his former club in his place. Silver, meanwhile, fielded a strong lineup with only Macdonald Lameck absent from the squad. Zebron Kalima and Stain Davie started on the bench, with Innocent Mtonga, Ernest Petro, and Emmanuel Allan earning starting positions.

The result sees Silver Strikers move to 39 points from 19 games in third place, while Creck Sporting remain in 10th position with 25 points from 21 matches. Creck have nine games remaining to complete their season.

Silver have now won three of their four league meetings with Creck, with the other match ending in a 2-2 draw. The Bankers repeated their first-round 2-1 scoreline against the same opponents and will look to carry this momentum into their crucial continental clash with Young Africa Sports Club on Saturday.