Rachael Kaphaizi
Mighty Wanderers president Thomson Mpinganjira had told his son William, Ekhaya FC president to respect elderly , emphasizing that he should never dare to beat Wanderers in the Airtel Top 8 Cup finals.
Boom! The day comes, William refuses to respect his dad. He beat dad’s team 2-1 and made history after being crowned Airtel Top 8 champions for the first time, completing a remarkable run in their debut appearance in the competition.
The Cowboys broke the record on Sunday’s final to deny the Nomads a chance to end their Airtel Top 8 trophy drought, having last won the competition in 2022.
Ekhaya took the lead in the 38th minute when Blessings Malanda converted from the penalty spot after defender Stanley Sanudi handled the ball.
Wanderers responded four minutes after the break, with Mphatso Kamanga restoring parity in the 49th minute, connecting the ball from Gaddie Chirwa.
The Cowboys continued to press for another goal and their persistence paid off in the 59th minute when Allen Chihana produced a fine header from Malinda free kick to put Ekhaya back in front.
Wanderers pushed for another equaliser by playing with three strikers in front but Ekhaya held on to secure their maiden Airtel Top 8 title and cap a memorable debut campaign.
Ekhaya had earlier eliminated FCB Nyasa Big Bullets in the quarter-finals before overcoming Karonga United in the semi-finals to reach the final.
In a post-match interview, Ekhaya head coach Enos Chatama praised his players for their defensive discipline, particularly after Wanderers increased the pressure following their equaliser.
“After they equalised, I told the boys that if it is our day, it is our day. We had to concentrate, defend properly and hit them on the break. We scored the second goal and thereafter we had to close them down because Wanderers are more dangerous on the flanks,” said Chatama.
Chatama admitted that defending against Wanderers’ crosses was difficult but said his players did well to cut the supply and contain the Nomads’ attacking threat.
He also felt Ekhaya could have scored a third goal on the counter-attack but lacked the final pass to unlock the Wanderers defence.
Speaking after the match, Wanderers head coach Bob Mpinganjira accepted the result and urged his players to put the defeat behind them as they turn their attention to their upcoming CAF Champions League assignment against Simba SC of Tanzania.
“It is a very disappointing result for us, but it is a game of football. Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. Congratulations to Ekhaya FC. We tried our best, but they played very well,” said Mpinganjira.
Mpinganjira acknowledged that the defeat had left his players disappointed but said the team must accept the result and move forward.
“We have already started counselling them to accept the result. It is gone, it is history. Now we should look forward to the next game and keep encouraging them when we start training,” he said.
