Malawi: Nomads Surge Three Points Clear - - Bullets Left Slipping in the Mud

Mighty Wanderers sent their fans into wild, rain-soaked ecstasy yesterday as they danced, sang, and celebrated in the open stands after watching their team storm to the top of the TNM Super League table.

The Nomads didn't just win -- they snatched the summit and shoved arch-rivals FCB Nyasa Big Bullets aside with a commanding 2-0 victory over Karonga United, a team that has often troubled them in previous seasons.

And Wanderers made it sting.

They pounced on Bullets' embarrassing slip a day earlier -- a 2-0 humbling at the hands of Moyale Barracks -- and ruthlessly turned it into a three-point advantage. Now sitting on 62 points with only three games to go, the Lali Lubani Road giants have flung open the door to ending their agonising eight-year title drought.

Breathing heavily behind them are Bullets, stranded on 59 points, while Silver Strikers lurk in third place with 56 points and a crucial game in hand. Karonga United remain sixth with 40 points from 27 games.

Yesterday's match turned scrappy in the rain-soaked second half, with both sides resorting to kick-and-chase football. But the damage had already been done early.

A rejuvenated Promise Kamwendo stunned Karonga with a tidy 10th-minute finish from an Isaac Kaliyati pass. Nineteen minutes later, Gaddie Chirwa detonated a long-range strike to bury Karonga and send the blue half of Blantyre into euphoria.

Karonga coach Oscar Kaunda admitted his side never got going.

"We had a slow start. We were more organised in the second half, but the rains affected our rhythm. It just wasn't our day. Congratulations to Wanderers," he said.

For Nomads coach Bob Mpinganjira, the message was simple and cold: the hunt continues.

"The rains affected the flow of the game, but I thank the boys for their fighting spirit. We still have three more games -- we must stay focused," he said.

Wanderers fans didn't need second invitation -- the party had already begun.

Now, with the finish line in sight and their rivals stumbling, the Nomads can smell glory again. Whether they seize it or choke under pressure is now the burning question.

Read the original article on Nyasa Times.