Creck Sporting suffered a disappointing defeat against Ekhaya in a highly anticipated match, despite dominating large portions of the game and creating numerous scoring opportunities.
The Blantyre-based Ekhaya side ultimately emerged victorious, with Creck’s struggling to convert our chances into goals.The deadlock was broken in the 21st minute when Clever Chikwata scored for the home team, giving Ekhaya an upper hand they maintained until halftime.
Creck Sporting’s Head Coach, Eliya Kananji, made strategic changes in the second half, introducing Jackson Beza for Frank Phiri to increase offensive pressure. His tactical shift saw the team adopt a more aggressive 3-5-2 formation, aiming to attack more directly from the midfield.
Despite Creck’s relentless pursuit of an equalizer, Ekhaya’s defense held firm. Even with Kananji’s introduction of fresh legs, Ekhaya managed to control the situation and thwart Creck’s efforts.
Goalkeeper Brighton Munthali was a crucial figure for Ekhaya, making several key saves from dangerous set pieces.For Creck, Hardy Ng’andu delivered a stellar performance, showcasing exceptional leadership by intercepting passes and closing down gaps, preventing Ekhaya from easily crossing into our half. He was a pillar in the defense, winning numerous aerial balls.
Though Kananji made multiple substitutions in an attempt to turn the tide, Ekhaya’s backline remained sharp and aggressive, consistently repelling Creck’s advances.
Misheck Bottoman, Kondwani Chilembwe, Jackson Beza, and George Chaomba were all introduced in the second half, replacing Harvey Nasiyaya, Frank Phiri, Babangida Ishaya, Aaron Chilipa, and Hassan Hussein respectively.
Kondwani Chilembwe, deployed in midfield, had two significant attempts that could have resulted in goals, but his efforts went wide. He also narrowly missed a through ball in the dying minutes, inches away from finding the back of the net.
We earned several free kicks in dangerous positions near the D-zone during the second half, but all these opportunities were wasted, including an attempt by Anold Son Kiyama that went far wide of the post.
Following the match, Coach Kananji openly accepted the defeat, attributing it to a lack of finishing techniques from his strikers. However, he also highlighted the positives from his first game in charge, emphasizing that he will focus on improving finishing and promoting forward passes over unproductive back passes.
This result means Creck Sporting remains unchanged in the league standings, with eleven points from nine games played so far.
