Ekhaya FC secured a well-deserved 2-0 victory in TNM Super League of Malawi over Karonga United on Saturday afternoon at Kamuzu Stadium on a sweltering afternoon that tested both teams’ endurance and character.
The Cowboys struck early through Chimwemwe Yassin and sealed the win late in stoppage time through Clever Chikwata, keeping themselves firmly in the race for a top-four spot in the 2025 TNM Super League season.
What happened
The game kicked off with both teams level on 9 points and separated by just two positions on the log—setting the stage for a fiercely competitive contest.
It was The Cowboys who drew first blood in the 7th minute early on. Clever Chikwata picked out Chimwemwe Yassin with a brilliantly threaded through-ball, and the winger showed composure beyond question as he rounded the goalkeeper and calmly slotted home with his weaker foot to make it 1-0.
Ekhaya maintained control following the opener, pressing high and looking to add to their tally. In the 18th minute, Stanley Billiat had a golden opportunity to double the lead after the Karonga defense was breached again, but he hesitated with his final pass and the chance fizzled out.
The intense heat forced a water break in the 27th minute, offering both teams a brief respite. After the break, Karonga began growing into the match, managing to settle more into midfield possession.
In the 37th minute, Ekhaya made their first substitution as Innocent Msowoya replaced James Lumbe, looking to inject fresh legs and consolidate their lead before halftime. Karonga responded with a change of their own as both benches began to anticipate a tough second half.
The Cowboys returned from the break leading 1-0 and made two tactical changes. Lovemore Mbeta and Matamando Mwatchipisa replaced Yassin and Mwayi Banda.
The second half started with Ekhaya looking the more dangerous side, although Karonga tried to respond with long-range attempts that failed to trouble the goalkeeper Ellias Missi.
Tensions flared in the 65th minute when Karonga’s official Loti Mwakisulu was shown a straight red card for dissent on the touchline. The game turned increasingly scrappy, with stoppages breaking the rhythm on both sides.
Just a minute later, Hadji James was forced off due to injury, with Vincent Salawira coming on in his place as Ekhaya were dealt a blow in midfield.
Despite holding the lead, Ekhaya struggled to carve out clear chances in the second half. Karonga United remained in the game and threatened occasionally on the counter. With ten minutes to go, the score remained 1-0, and Ekhaya knew they needed to kill off the contest.
Helmas Masinja’s injury in the 86th minute led to Joseph Saiwa being brought on, as the Cowboys looked to close out the match with control.
Late drama
Deep into added time (90+5’), the Cowboys finally got their insurance goal. Clever Chikwata found himself through on goal and displayed outstanding composure in a one-on-one with McClean Mwale, slotting the ball calmly into the net to double Ekhaya’s lead and seal all three points.
In the end, it was a professional performance from Ekhaya FC, who scored early, managed the game well in difficult conditions, and sealed it with a late goal. With this win, they move up the table and maintain pressure on the top four.
What it means
After this victory, we move to 12 points from 6 matches and currently sit third in the league table.
What the coach said
“We started on a high. We were mostly in the attacking third. We were moving the ball quickly from the back to the middle, up to attacking areas. We created so many chances in the first ten minutes. We could have buried the game in the first half but all in all we scored a goal. In the second half we were sort of panicking after missing those chances. At the end of the 90 minutes, we won the game. It’s good for the team but there is still a lot of work to be done.”
Looking ahead
Following this win, The Cowboys will now make a trip to Lilongwe where they will face Blue Eagles in the league this coming weekend at Nankhaka Stadium.
