Mozambican team Ferroviaro de Nampula won the championship of the inaugural pre-season Nyasa Big Four Bonanza which wound up in Blantyre, Malawi on March 4 2019.
The bonanza involved the Mozambican team, Malawi league champions Nyasa Big Bullets, their rivals Be Forward Wanderers and Chicken Inn from Zimbabwe.
Ferroviaro won the title on goal aggregate after finishing the three-day event, which kicked off on March 2, on five points from three games, at par with Wanderers at Kamuzu Stadium.
The Blantyre stadium hosted all the nine matches.
Ferroviaro beat the hosts and sponsors of the bonanza, Bullets, 2-1 on Friday courtesy of goals from Rui and Belito whereas the hosts scored the consolation through Yamikani Fodya.
On Saturday March 3, Ferroviaro drew 1-1 margins against Wanderers before also recording a similar result in a final match against Chicken Inn on Monday.
Substitute Franscico Madinga gave Wanderers an early lead only for Emmanuel Itimu to level matters for Ferroviaro after Mike Kaziputa had missed a penalty following a foul on Francisco Madinga.
On Monday March 4, Ferroviaro came from behind to level the scores through Rui after Obadiah Tarumbwa had given the Zimbabwe team an early lead.
The final match of the bonanza saw Bullets settling for a 1-1 draw with Wanderers.
The railway men from Mozambique’s Northern Province scored five goals and let in three whereas Wanderers scored three goals and let in two to miss out on the title.
Bullets finished on third place with four points after beating Chicken Inn 2-1 on Saturday.
In the decisive game on March 4, former Nampula forward Zicco Mkanda thought he had handed Wanderers the championship when he finished off a well-worked out counterattack move after clearing Bullets’ corner in the 45thminute.
But substitute Precious Phiri created the leveler when he outpaced his marker on the right wing before cutting back for Henry Kabichi to sweep the ball to the far bottom corner, giving Wanderers goalkeeper William Thole with no chance in the 47thminute.
Results
Friday
Wanderers 1 (Mike Kaziputa) Chicken Inn 0
Ferroviaro de Nampula 2 (Rui, Belito)) Bullets 1 (Yamikani Fodya)
Saturday
Wanderers 1 (Francisco Madinga) Ferroviaro 1 (Emmanuel Itimu)
Bullets 2 (Henry Kabichi, Chiukepo Msowoya) Chicken Inn 1 (Clive Augusto)
Monday
Chicken Inn 1 (Obadiah Tarumbwa) Ferroviaro 1 (Rui Milambo)
Bullets 1 ( Henry Kabichi) Wanderers 1 (Zicco Mkanda)
Log table
Pld Pts
Nampula 3 5
Wanderers 3 5
Bullets 3 4
Chicken Inn 3 1
By Peter Kanjere
