Mzuzu City Hammers in Crisis, Bow Out of Airtel Top 8

Mzuzu City Hammers are in crisis after being thrashed 4-0 by Civil Service United in the Airtel Top 8 quarterfinal match played on Saturday at Civo Stadium in Lilongwe.

The Hammers went into the match without head coach Steve Nkwinika, who parted ways with the team earlier this week. Assistant coach Lackson Mauluka Nyoni was also unavailable as he is currently attending a FAM B coaching course in Blantyre. As a result, team manager Lazarus Nyemera led the technical panel.

Civil Service United opened the scoring just 10 minutes into the game through Dastan Banda, who converted a well-delivered pass from Blessings Malinda. The early goal unsettled the visitors, who then made a tactical change in the 23rd minute by substituting defensive midfielder Samuel Amos for attacker Samson Olatubosun.

However, the substitution backfired as City Hammers conceded two quick goals within four minutes—Muhammad Biason in the 36th minute and Blessings Malinda in the 40th—giving Civil Service a comfortable 3-0 lead at halftime. Damiano Khunje added the fourth goal in the closing minutes, sealing a comprehensive victory and sending Civil Service to the semifinals.

Speaking after the match, Nyemera attributed the loss to poor defending early in the game:

“We conceded early, which we didn’t expect. Our plan was to contain them in the opening minutes and then push forward, but it didn’t work. We now have to shift our focus to the league,” he said.

On the other side, Civil Service United head coach Abbas Makawa expressed satisfaction with his team’s performance:

“We planned to score early, and we did. That allowed us to control the game and play more comfortably in the second half.”

Mzuzu City Hammers, who impressed last season by reaching the Castel Challenge Cup final and finishing fourth in the league, have had a rough start this season. They are yet to win at home and currently have no certified coach on the bench.

So far in the 2025 league season, they have played four matches—winning once, drawing once, and losing twice—earning just four points. They now face a challenging run of away fixtures against Blue Eagles, Mighty Tigers, and Karonga United.