Frank Mojah Dzuwa 

In the 85th minute, with Silver Strikers trailing 2–1, they found a chance inside the penalty area. Four Silver players — Levison Maganizo, Ernest Petro, Stanie Davie and Charles Chipala — combined well to win the ball.

Their efforts paid off as Petro managed to get past Ephraim Kondowe and passed to Chipatala, who fired the ball towards goal.

Goalkeeper Innocent Nyasulu struggled to deal with the shot. To the players, it appeared the ball had crossed the line, prompting early celebrations.

However, referee Mwayi Msungama did not award a goal. All Silver players surrounded him, protesting. Before making his decision, Msungama consulted his assistant, McHastings Kanjati.

Kanjati advised that it should be a corner kick to Silver. Without hesitation, Msungama awarded the corner to the Bankers.

However, Silver Strikers coach Peter Mgangira insisted it was a goal, stating:
“The ball crossed the line. But I am not the referee and I cannot change that decision.”

Silvers Board member, Peter Pindani, writing on his Facebook page was even more detailed in his critical assessment of referee Mwayi Msungama.

“I watch mpira almost every day! I watch almost every game on TV and physically every weekend. That kind of officiation is very poor. Below average. But like I always say, we have no merit. That kind of officiation in such a big game is so unfortunate.“ he fumed.

How the match progressed

Both teams started brightly, exchanging early attacks in search of a quick goal that could tilt the momentum. The contest’s physical nature was evident right from the onset, with Silver Strikers head coach Peter Mgangira receiving a yellow card just nine minutes into the game for confronting the officiating panel over what he believed were unfair decisions.

The Central Bankers relied heavily on long throw-ins from McDonald Lameck, which created aerial threats in Bullets’ penalty area, but the defence remained solid at the back which was organized by two centre backs, Blessings Mpokera and Yankho Singo.

The tempo continued to rise as both teams pressed forward for the opener. In the 32nd minute, Levison Maganizo was shown a yellow card after a rough tackle on Chikumbutso Salima. Despite the end-to-end action, neither side managed to break the deadlock in the first half, which ended goalless.

Bullets made tactical adjustments at the start of the second half, introducing Hassan Kajoke and Ephraim Kondowe for Babatunde Adepoju and Peter Banda.

Fresh legs injected pace and urgency into the hosts’ attack. Silver Strikers, on the other hand, also refreshed their side in the 57th minute, bringing in Stanie Davie and former Bullets player Ernest Petro for Binwell Katinji and Zebron Kalima.

The Bankers’ pressure soon paid off in the 67th minute when they reclaimed possession, and Chikondi Kamanga’s shot was followed up by Andrew Joseph, who slotted the ball closer to the post to put Silver Strikers ahead.

However, their joy was short-lived as Bullets responded swiftly. In the 72nd minute, Kondowe equalised with a composed finish before Hassan Kajoke completed the turnaround from the penalty spot after George Chikooka fouled Chikumbutso Salima inside the box.

Silver Strikers pushed hard in the closing stages, throwing bodies forward in search of a late equaliser, but Bullets’ defence, marshalled by man-of-the-match Blessings Mpokera, stood firm to secure all three points. The victory not only stretched Bullets’ unbeaten run but also reinforced their dominance at the top of the table.

After the game, Silver Strikers head coach Peter Mgangira admitted his team played well but felt hard done by some of the officiating decisions.

“If you look at the result, it’s not a true reflection of how the game was. We scored first, but after conceding, we got a bit excited. I should also say that the referee and the panel did not control the game as expected. I know Mwayi Msungama is professional, but he is human. All in all, I don’t want to give excuses—congrats to Bullets,” he said.

Following the result, Bullets sit comfortably at the summit of the TNM Super League with 46 points from 19 matches, while Silver Strikers remain third with 36 points from 18 games.

Lineups:

Bullets: Innocent Nyasulu, Aaron Chilipa, Blessings Mpokera, Babatunde Adepoju (C), Peter Banda, Chikumbutso Salima, Yankho Singo, Wongani Lungu, Khumbo Banda, Chawanangwa Gumbo, Paul Master.

Silver Strikers: George Chikooka, Chikondi Kamanga (C), MacDonald Lameck, Nickson Mwase, Zebron Kalima, Uchizi Vunga, Binwell Katinji, Daniel Sandukira, Andrew Joseph, Maxwell Paipi, Levison Maganizo.