In a heart-stopping, action-packed encounter, the Young Stars edged out the FCB Nyasa Big Bullets Under 19s 2-1 in the FCB Katswiri Under 20 League at Mpira Stadium on Saturday.
What happened
It was a match that had it all. The stage was set for a thrilling contest, and both teams delivered in spades.
The clash ignited a frenzy of excitement from the opening whistle. Both teams burst out of the blocks, each determined to assert their dominance within the first 10 minutes.
Blessings Kuchanga sparked the first moment of magic in the 11th minute, whipping a tantalising cross into the box that Thomas Chalaka narrowly snatched.
Undeterred, the visitors continued to pile on the pressure, and another speculative effort in the 14th went over the bar.
As the half wore on, the Young Stars began to assert their authority, controlling the tempo of the game and pinning the young Bullets back in their own half.
Martin Adam’s rasping drive in the 26th minute was a testament to the visitors’ growing ascendancy, but the goalkeeper’s reflexes denied him the opener.
The breakthrough finally arrived in the 29th minute when the visitors broke the deadlock courtesy of Leonard Eleven’s sublime long-range strike.
Yamikani Fodya’s boys, however, refused to yield, and Kampira’s corner kick in the 30th minute sparked a flurry of activity in the visitors’ box.
As the opening period drew to a close, our boys began to find their footing, with Mkandawire’s header in the 34th minute forcing Chilaka into a spectacular save.
The first half ended with the Bullets Youth trailing 1-0.
At the restart, Fodya made a tactical reshuffle as he introduced a quartet of fresh legs.
The substitutions proved to be a masterstroke, as the Bullets began to gain a foothold in the game.
Young Stars, however, remained a potent force, and Eleven’s second goal in the 56th minute appeared to have sealed the deal for the visiting side.
But the Bullets refused to throw in the towel, and Adam’s 74th-minute strike, courtesy of Jimmy Zakazaka Jnr’s saved effort, set up a grandstand finish.
Ultimately, the Young Stars’ defence held firm, and they emerged victorious, 2-1.
What it means
Following the 2-1 defeat against Young Stars, our Under 19s have moved to third position with 45 points from 23 games.
Fodya’s post-match reaction
“We’re disappointed with the result, but I’m proud of the way our team fought in the second half. We started slowly, and the visitors took advantage of that. Overall, I think we showed some great character and spirit, but we need to work on our consistency and ability to close out games. We’ll take the positives from this match and use them to build for our next game.”
