Lilongwe, August 19, Mana: Blue Eagles suffered a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Moyale Barracks in the TNM Super League on Saturday at Nankhaka Stadium.

Chifundo Damba’s strike in the second half was enough to hand Blue Eagles their 7^th loss of the season, further dampening their campaign, placing them 15^th on the log table with 17 points from 18 games.

The hosts were coming from a 2-2 draw against Bangwe All Stars and were in search of a result to add some sunshine to their gloomy season.

Moyale Barracks initiated the attacks and caused Blue Eagles to do some early defending. They nearly drew first blood in the 10^th minute when Raphael Phiri won the foot race against the host team’s central defenders and over looped the ball over the charging goalie Chakonda Majanga.

Before Blue Eagles’ attackers got into the groove, left back MacDonald Lameck overlapped and tried a shot from distance which went wide.

Half way into the first half, the momentum shifted to the hosts, as attackers Schumaker Kuwali, Chikondi Mvula and Richard Lapson found their footing, exchanging passes and taking turns to test the visiting shot stopper, Jeremiah Simfukwe.

Mvula had a moment when he launched another attack from the right flank, used a perfect dummy to lose his man before laying off a pass to Kuwali whose thunder bolt promising shot smashed into team mate, Christopher Gototo.

The lone goal came in the 65^th minute when a team effort resulted into a cross which Damba who was unmarked, comfortably slotted home at the left post.

Moyale’s Lusekero Malema received his matching orders in the 73^rd minute after receiving his second yellow card.

Speaking in post-match interview, Coach for Blue Eagles, Elia Kananji expressed worry over the team’s current form and also admitted that the absence of players such as Micium Mhone and John Soko who are away on official duty has affected the team.

“Am not sure why we are struggling that’s why we have asked the team’s executive body to have an audience with the players on Tuesday in our absence as coaches,” he said.

Kananji however remains optimistic that the team will turn things around and shall not face relegation.

Meanwhile Coach for Moyale Barracks, Nicholas Mhango urged his squad to continue working hard and build momentum from the victory.

“Our plan was to score early, but we couldn’t and in the second half though the boys were fatigued but I told them to at least score a goal,” he said.

Following the victory, Moyale Barracks sits on position 8 with 22 points from 17 games and 5 wins.