Ekwaiweni Tafika Slender Mzuni FC to Land Their Maiden Last 8 Qualification

By Victor Stephan……

Ekwaiweni Tafika Sports Academy has qualified for their maiden Last 8 phase after a slender win over Mzuni FC in an NRFA Simso Mzuzu 12 sponsors league game played at Ekwaiweni Primary Ground on Sunday.

A creative move that broke Mzuni’s defense allowed Mcfen Mndolo at 12 minutes to score the vital goal which came minutes after Pearson Mbizi failed a one-on-one with Mzuni’s keeper to achieve a historical qualification.

Despite playing good football on the day and finishing the game with a man down following Takondwa Kamange’s red card 20 minutes before the game, the card followed minutes of protests after an offside call in the build-up to their disallowed goal.

Omega Mhone head coach for Ekwaiweni Tafika Sports Academy was relieved to finish on top of one of the toughest clusters achieving the qualification for the first time.

“I am delighted with the win which means we have reached the last 8 finishing on top, we failed to play our game we were desperate for the win,” Mhone said in a post-match interview.

Mzuni’s coach Jomo Ngonga described the result as not a true reflection of the game saying his players were demoralized while hinting at the fixture as their major setback.

“It was a good game only that we missed some chances and partly the linesman denied us a clear goal, the fixture did not do us the justice that affected our performance,” Ngonga said.

Shupo Kumwenda Executive Director for Ekwaiweni Tafika Sports Academy was delighted saying their maiden qualification is a good achievement that will help the youth in his area to be busy with sports.

In the same cluster Thaboland and Chipolopolo Boys played out a 2-all draw at Rumphi the draw means the two cannot qualify for the last 8 while Lube Masters has earned a qualification through a result which means the two cannot reach Masters’s 19 points.

So far Songwe Border United, Chilumba Barracks, Ekwaiweni Tafika Sports Academy, Lube Masters, Chintheche United, and Raiply have qualified while Jenda United will have to avoid an 8-goal margin loss in their last game against Euthini Veterans to confirm their slot while Eagle Strikers and Likoma qualification will be decided by their last two games one of which is a clash between the two on Wednesday in Likoma.