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| Sports |
| Lions wind up league in LL |
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by
Leonard Sharra, 27 May 2003
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08:59:25
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Civo 1 -Lions 2
Silver 2- Lions 1
Zomba-based Red Lions, who were the first team to reach the final of the BP Top 8 last season, will need the gods’ intervention to play in the lucrative tournament this season, having failed to collect maximum points in the Capital City, where they wrapped up their 2002/2003 Chibuku Super League assignments with a 1-2 loss to Silver Strikers.
The Lions edged Civo 2-1 on Saturday at Civo Stadium before facing fierce resistance the following day when they were beaten by Silver in their closing league game of the season.
The results mean the Lions have finished the league with 42 points, five points less than Dwasco and Civo’s maximum tallies. At 41 points from 28 games, the cane growers look like favourites for the eighth position, currently occupied by the soldiers.
The lakeshore giants are remaining with a home fixture against their brothers Illovo and an away game against MDC United. Civo, who are lying 10th with 35 points from 26 games may also claim the eighth position but they have a mountain to climb in their remaining away fixtures against Silver, Illovo, Bakili Bullets and Super Escom.
According to current standings on the league’s log table, the eighth position is the only slot that is yet to be claimed as Bullets, MTL Wanderers, MDC United, Moyale Barracks, Admarc Tigers, Blue Eagles and Silver Strikers look set to share the top seven positions.
Knowing well what is remaining on offer, the soldiers approached their last games, especially the one against Civo, seriously and their 2-1 win did not come by chance. Striker Yohane Fulaye put the soldiers ahead with an 11th minute strike but the lead was cancelled by Civo’s Davie Chirwa before half time.
Chirwa’s goal could be rated as one of the best scored this season. The striker headed in a Noel Mkandawire cross from the near post after diving parallel to the goal line. Very few strikers in the country could do that.
Striker Sekile Chitete punished his former team when he converted a spot kick to give the Lions a deserved 2-1 lead.
But come Sunday, the Lions failed to tick against a composed Silver Strikers side coming from a nil-all draw against Dwasco at the dreaded Chitowe Stadium. The Lions fell behind a Hellings Mwakasungula’s 26th minute strike and cracked further when Jimmy Zakazaka added the second five minutes into the last half.
Mwaona Mwagomba reduced the arrears in the 58th minute but the home side hang on to the slender lead until the final whistle.
Lions coach James Liwonde conceded that his team’s BP Top 8 chances were very slim: “We may not have any chance at all because our fate is now in the hands of Dwasco and Civo. If Dwasco win just one of their remaining games, they will push us to the ninth position,” said Liwonde.
Silver’s new coach Davie Mpesi said his team’s hope was to finish amongst the top five teams.
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