Mbabane Swallows coach Hlope Nyanga
… Zambian champions clobbered in Swaziland
From HONE SIAME in Mbabane
SWALLOWS 2 NKANA 0
MBABANE Swallows yesterday defied football hierarchy when they stunned Nkana in the 2014 CAF Champions League preliminary round first leg at Somhlolo National Stadium.
Two goals by Zimbabwean strikers in a space of two minutes saw Swallows take a comfortable lead ahead of this Saturday’s return leg in Kitwe.
Nkana need to score three unanswered goals to progress to the first round. The Swazi outfit started on a fast note with Felix Bardenhost, Kudzanayi Matanda and Tony Tsabedze bombarding Nkana, who struggled for possession on an artificial pitch.
Bardenhost could have put Swallows in the lead on 10 minutes but his cracker missed the target by some inches with goalkeeper Rabson Mucheleng’anga beaten.
A minute later, Ronald ‘Sate Sate’ Kampamba headed wide a Simon Bwalya cross.
With Swallows in retreat, Nkana took over proceedings with skipper Sydney Kalume, Simon Bwalya, Claude Bwalya and Kelvin Mubanga dictating play in midfield and feeding strikers.
Mubanga was put through on 19 minutes and with goalkeeper Knowledge Jim to beat, he shot straight in his palms much to the surprise of coach Masausto Mwale.
Jim was called to duty in the 26th minute when he saved a shot from Claude.
On 43 minutes, Njabulo Ndhlovu’s longrange shot zoomed over the crossbar for the first half to end goalless.
Swallows, who appointed Zambia Chris ‘Gazza’ Tembo as coach last month, took the lead on 63 minutes through Zimbabwean striker
Kudzanayi Matanda’s longrange strike.
Bardenhost extended the lead on 65 minute after pouncing on a defensive lapse by Christopher Munthali.
In an attempt to clear the ball, Munthali was dispossessed by Bardenhost, who raced towards goal and unleashed a low shot past Mucheleng’anga.
With time ticking, Mwale introduced Shadrick Musonda for Simon in the 71st minute and Lottie Nyimbili replaced Kampamba on 82 minutes.
Musonda saw his shot zoom over the crossbar in the 89th minute and a minute later Nyimbili’s shot was saved by Jim.
“We literally gifted them those two goals because of the silly defensive mistakes,” Nkana coach Mwale said.
Swallows gaffer Tembo said: “It’s a mixed grill for me. It is bitter and sweet at the same time. We will be in Zambia to defend our lead.”