BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)-Goshen City Dedza Dynamos booked their tickets to the semifinals of the Castel Challenge Cup after a 2–0 victory over Ekhaya FC at Mpira Stadium in Blantyre on Saturday.
The quarterfinal clash was tightly contested from the onset, with both sides showing tactical discipline and caution in the opening exchanges.
Ekhaya FC tried to assert themselves early in the match but the Dedza Dynamos defence stood firm and restricted the hosts to few clear chances.
The first half ended goalless despite two additional minutes being played, as neither team managed to find a breakthrough before the interval.
After the restart, the intensity of the game increased, with both teams pushing forward in search of an opening goal.
The breakthrough came in the 83rd minute when Luke Chima’s powerful shot deflected off Josephy McDonald and beat the goalkeeper.
Chima was later credited with the goal, giving the visitors a crucial advantage as the match approached its final stages.
Drama followed in added time when six minutes were indicated by the fourth official, a decision that was strongly protested by the Dedza Dynamos bench.
Dedza Dynamos, however, remained composed and sealed the win in the 90th minute through substitute Gift Magola, who headed home from close range after meeting a low delivery from Wellington Chimutu.
After the match, Dedza Dynamos head coach Alex Ngwira said his ambition is to lift the Castel Challenge Cup and stressed the importance of motivating his players ahead of the semifinals.
Meanwhile, Ekhaya FC coach Enos Chatama admitted his side failed to make full use of the chances they created during the match.
Chatama added that the off season will be used to review the team’s performance and assess their approach to the season following their exit from the competition.
