Blue Eagles Edge Songwe Boarder In Thrilling Karonga Clash

Blue Eagles Football Club travelled to Karonga Stadium on 21 December 2025 for a league away fixture against Songwe Boarder football club, kicking off at 2:30pm. The match ended in a hard-fought 2-1 victory for Blue Eagles, who came from behind to secure all three points in a pulsating encounter.

Deploying a 4-1-2-3 formation, Blue Eagles set up with Precious Masamba in goal, protected by a back four comprising Trouble Banda at right back, Bennet Konyo and Yankho Kambalu as central defenders, and Maxwell Gustavo on the left. Gilbert Chirwa operated as the lone defensive midfielder, shielding the defence and linking play. Ahead of him, Lanken Mwale took up the right attacking midfield role, with Webster Nzunda on the left. The front three featured Pius Saka on the right wing, Tonic Viyuyi leading the line as striker, and Laurent Banda on the left forward position. The substitutes bench included Ganizani James, Andrew Mapemba, Chikondi Mvula, and Blessings Malemia.

The match began with Songwe Boarder showing intent, and their efforts paid off in the 25th minute when they opened the scoring. A well-worked move saw an opponent’s player unleash a right-footed shot from outside the box, which was followed up by a tap-in to beat Masamba and give the hosts a deserved lead.

Blue Eagles responded with increased urgency and pressure, looking to exploit the width provided by their attacking midfielders and forwards. Their persistence was rewarded just before half-time when Lanken Mwale stepped up to convert a penalty in the 41st minute. Mwale confidently dispatched the spot-kick with his right foot, restoring parity and setting up a tense finish to the first half.

The teams went into the break level at 1-1, with both sides having had their moments but neither able to assert clear dominance. At half-time, Blue Eagles made a tactical substitution, replacing central defender Yankho Kambalu with Ganizani James to add fresh legs and perhaps a different defensive approach for the second period.

The second half saw Blue Eagles gradually take control, with Chirwa orchestrating play from midfield and the wide players stretching the Songwe Boarder defence. In the 78th minute, Blue Eagles made a double tactical substitution to inject energy and attacking impetus: Andrew Mapemba replaced Lanken Mwale on the right attacking midfield, while Chikondi Mvula came on for Laurent Banda on the left forward position.

As the match entered its final stages, Blue Eagles continued to press for a winner. Another tactical change followed in the 88th minute when Blessings Malemia was introduced for striker Tonic Viyuyi, signalling a desire to maintain attacking threat and secure the victory.

The decisive moment arrived in the 90th minute when substitute Ganizani James scored the winning goal. Receiving a short pass from fellow substitute Chikondi Mvula inside the box, James calmly finished with his right foot to send the Blue Eagles supporters into raptures and seal a memorable comeback victory.

The referee maintained control throughout the 90 minutes plus added time, ensuring a fair contest with a solid performance rated at 75. The crowd of 700 witnessed a competitive and entertaining match, with Blue Eagles demonstrating resilience and tactical flexibility to overcome Songwe Boarder on their home turf.

This victory will boost Blue Eagles’ confidence as they continue their league campaign, having shown the ability to respond under pressure and make effective use of their substitutes to influence the outcome.