Mighty Wanderers grabbed the Blantyre Derby bragging rights after securing a 1-0 win over Nyasa Big Bullets in a Malawi Super League match played at Kamuzu Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
Vincent Nyangulu’s strike in the biggest fixture in the Malawian football calendar earned the Nomads a hard-fought victory against a wasteful Bullets side.
Yamikani Fodya’s intention to volley the ball past Mighty Wanderers defenders in the ninth minute failed.
The Big Bullets, via Babatunde Adepoju and Chiukepo Msowoya, initiated a good move from the left-wing and Adepoju did well to find Chimwemwe Idana in the box but the skipper’s effort went wide with goalkeeper Richard Chipuwa out of his area.
It was the first-time Bullets managed to reach Wanderers area after they had been restricted into their own half by a determined Nomads side.
Wanderers survived a scare in the 19th minute when Lanjesi Nkhoma made way into the box from the left side and took a shot which Richard Chimbamba spilt over but Mosowoya shot went wide after trying to connect with the loose ball.
Another blunder from Wanderers saw them lose the ball to Hassan Kajoke and the Bullets winger placed the ball on Mosowoya’s path but the forward headed straight to Chipuwa as Wanderers survived once more in the 24th minute.
Nyangulu scored the first goal for the visitors in the 30th minute from Chester’s delivery which he connected into the bottom left corner to give Nomads a lead.
The goal denied Big Bullets a chance to register their 24th ever clean sheet against the Nomads in Malawi Super League.
Big Bullets had another bright start in the second stanza and they had a chance to equalize on the 54th minute when Nickson Nyasulu entered in Nomads box almost unmarked but Chipuwa did well to close in on him and clear the ball under immense pressure.
Msowoya had a big chance for Kalisto Pasuwa’s in the 68th minute after a mistake at the back by Wanderers saw him go clear on goal inside the box but his low strike missed the bottom corner slightly wide.
Felix Zulu should have buried the game forNomads in the last 12 minutes after going clear on goal from Wisdom Mpinganjira’s through ball but he blasted his strike over the bar.
Big Bullets were vulnerable to counter-attacks in the closing minutes, sending numbers forward desperate for the equaliser but in the end Wanderers held on to claim a narrow win.
