Vita complete Wanderers double for next round ticket
Malawi champions, Be Forward Wanderers, bowed out after losing 2-1 to their DR Congo counterparts, AS Vita, on Wednesday at Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe.
Vita proceed to the round of 16 6-1 on aggregate after winning the reverse 4-0 last week in Kinshasa.
Wanderers’ Assistant Coach Bob Mpinganjira, stepping in for head coach Yasin Osman who was ill, made wholesale changes to the squad that lost in the first leg, giving chance to more youngsters to add pace to the attack.
Mpinganjira dropped right-back Stanley Sanudi for Peter Cholopi, left-back Francis Mlimbika for Precious Sambani whereas midfielders Felix Zulu and Dan Kumwenda replaced Blessings Tembo and Rafik Namwela, respectively, in the starting line-up
Despite dominating possession with a succession of free-kicks which Vita dealt with, it was the latter who went ahead. Jeam Marc Makusu Mundele fired the visitors ahead after sloppy defending of a corner-kick from the right after 20 minutes.
Vita led 1-0 at half time but not before they survived a scare following Wanderers captain Joseph Kamwendo’s free-kick, which bounced off the bar.
In the second-half, Wanderers pulled out right winger Felix Zulu for veteran striker Esau Kanyenda. And the impact was instant.
Barely three minutes into the second-half, striker Peter Wadabwa sneaked past Vita defenders to make a diving header and score the equaliser from Sambani’s cross.
However, Vita restored the lead late in the game when Wanderers were caught napping wide on the right side.
Baoyi Boyombe scored in the 84
After the game, Vita coach Jean-Florent Ibenge said his charges played better in the second-leg.
“We played better in this match than in the first-leg. It was a good game and our opponents tried,” Ibenge said.
Wanderers Team Manager, Steve Madeira, accepted defeat.
“We tried our best but Vita are a good team. Perhaps time has come that teams from Malawi should continue playing in such competitions. We have learnt a lot,” Madeira said.
Results
Tuesday, 20 February 2018
Williamsville AC (Cote d’Ivoire) 1-0 Stade Malien (Mali) (1-1)
Olympic de Bangui (Central African Republic) 0-0 ES Setif (Algeria) (0-6)
El Hilal (Sudan) 3-0 LISCR (Liberia) (0-1)
Wednesday, 21 February 2018
KCCA (Uganda) 1-0 CNaPs Sport (Madagascar) (1-2)
Mbabane Swallows (Swaziland) 1-3 Bantu (Lesotho) (4-2)
Aduana (Ghana) 2-0 El Tahadi (Libya) (0-1)
Mounana (Gabon) 2-0 RC Kadiogo (Burkina Faso) (0-1)
MFM (Nigeria) 1-0 AS Real (Mali) (1-1)
MC Alger (Algeria) 9-0 AS Otoho (Congo) (0-2)
Horoya (Guinea) 0-0 AS FAN (Niger) (3-1)
Makkassa (Egypt) 0-0 Generation Foot (Senegal) (0-2)
Saint Louis (Seychelles) 1-1 Young Africans (Tanzania) (0-1)
El Merreikh (Sudan) 2-1 Township Rollers (Botswana) (0-3)
Leones Vegatarianos (Equatorial Guinea) 1-1 Gor Mahia (Kenya) (0-2)
Esperance (Tunisia) 5-0 Concorde (Mauritania) (1-1)
Eding Sport (Cameroon) 0-1 Plateau United (Nigeria) (0-3)
AS Port (Togo) 2-1 (4-3 pen) AC Leopards (Congo) (1-2)
Zesco (Zambia) 7-0 JKU (Zanzibar) (0-0)
ASEC Mimosas (Cote d’Ivoire) 3-2 Buffles (Benin) (1-1)
UD Songo (Mozambique) 2-0 Ngaya (Comoros) (1-1)
Be Forward (Malawi) 1-2 AS Vita (DR Congo) (0-4)
FC Platinum (Zimbabwe) 1-2 Primeiro de Agosto (Angola) (0-3)
Pamplemousses (Mauritius) 1-0 Bidvest (South Africa) (0-2)
Difaa El Jadida (Morocco) 10-0 Benfica (Guinea Bissau)
Benfica (Guinea Bissau) 0-0 Difaa El Jadida (Morocco) (0-10)
Lydia Academic (Burundi) 0-1 Rayon Sports (Rwanda) (1-1)
Saturday, 24 February 2018
Armed Forces (Gambia) vs Zanaco (Zambia) (0-3