Lurking anonymously in the 18-yard box, sniper Diverson Mlozi arrowed into the net the winner to break goalkeeper Brighton Munthali’s resistance and with it, that of Silver Strikers and plunge Kamuzu Stadium into a rambunctious cacophony on Sunday.
Bullets’ left-back Yamikani Fodya had dangerously curled the ball into the box. Munthali, who had earlier defiantly kept out Musa Manyenje and Dalitso Sailesi’s volleys, misjudged the flight of the ball, which landed onto the path of Mlozi. He finished the rest in the 58th minute.
Let loose onto the pitch in the second half to replace sluggish Muhammad Sulumba, Mlozi needed only five minutes and a second attempt on target to send Bullets four places up on the TNM Super League ladder to fifth position with 22 points from 12 games.
Bullets assistant coach Mabvuto Lungu revealed the instructions to Mlozi.
“Diverson is not our 90 minutes player yet, so we kept him for a mission. When it was time, he was told that ‘you are a sniper, so stick in the box and strike Silver where it hurts the most,” Lungu said in a post-match interview.
Silver, who started the game like a house on fire while seeking to build on their 3-0 win over Max Bullets the previous day, left the stadium very disappointed. Nonetheless, Silver stay top with 29 points from 14 games. Coach Young Chimodzi’s body language said it all.
“The concentration was so low and we gifted them the goal,” Chimodzi said in a post-match interview after Silver’s first away league loss.
Yet the start was promising for Silver, whose aggression and endless running frustrated Bullets, who had visibly pressed for an early goal. Defenders Lucky Malata and company had kept Bullets’ strikers Chiukepo Msowoya and Sulumba at an arm’s length.
Then Bullets suffered a setback when goalkeeper Ernest Kakhobwe left the pitch in pain after landing awkwardy following a collision with Silver’s Goliath of a striker, Matthews Sibale.
In came Owen Chaima and a few minutes later, he was collecting the ball from the back of his own net after Sibale had burst from the blind side to score from Malata’s free-kick in the 43rd minute.
When the second half resumed, the attacking intentions of Bullets were visibly clear. Silver played into the hands of the defending champions by camping in their own box, thereby inviting Fischer Kondowe, McFarlen Ngwira, Manyenje and Sailesi to play quick one-twos.
Subjected to immense pressure, a Silver player handled Ngwira’s goal-bound shot for referee John Phiri to point to the most hated spot. Msowoya stepped forward to powerfully score Bullets’ equaliser and his ninth in the league.
Eventually, Bullets completed the comeback through Mlozi.
Elsewhere, Moyale Barracks climbed a step up to fourth with 24 points from 13 games after defeating Wizards 2-0 through Gastin Simkonda and Khuda Muyaba’s goals at Mzuzu Stadium.
Wizards, who also lost 0-1 to Mzuni at the same venue, are coming back from Mzuzu empty-handed.
In other games, Karonga United and Dwangwa United drew 1-1 to both remain in the relegation zone while in Lilongwe, Epac and Azam Tigers drew 0-0.
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