By Hastings Wadza Kasonga Jr

Ekhaya FC have announced their arrival among Malawi’s football elite after beating Mighty Wanderers 2-1 to win the Airtel Top 8 trophy in their debut campaign.

The victory at Bingu National Stadium on Sunday afternoon completes a remarkable run for the Blantyre-based side, who also eliminated FCB Nyasa Big Bullets on their way to the final.

Ekhaya had initially planned to use 2025 to establish the club, 2026 to consolidate, and 2027 to compete for major honours.

However, the Cowboys have achieved that target earlier than expected by becoming the fifth team to lift the Airtel Top 8 trophy.

For years, Blantyre has been dominated by two football giants, Mighty Wanderers and FCB Nyasa Big Bullets. Despite the emergence and disappearance of several clubs, the two sides have remained the city's dominant forces.

Ekhaya, however, have now sent a strong message that the football landscape in Blantyre could be changing.

The Cowboys knocked out Bullets in the quarter-finals, winning 7-6 on post-match penalties after the two legs ended 2-2 on aggregate. They then defeated Karonga United 2-1 in the semi-finals to book their place in the final.

Against Wanderers, Ekhaya started strongly, enjoying possession as the Nomads struggled to impose themselves on the game.

They later changed their approach, allowing Wanderers more of the ball and relying on counter-attacks through James Lumbe, Allen Chihana, Blessings Malinda and Chimwemwe Chunga.

Their strategy paid off in the 37th minute when Stanley Sanudi handled the ball inside the penalty area.

Malinda stepped up and calmly converted from the spot, sending Ekhaya into half-time with a 1-0 lead.

Wanderers responded positively after the break, with their changes immediately making an impact.

Mphatso Kamanga produced a superb finish in the 50th minute to level the contest.

But Ekhaya regained the advantage in the 59th minute when Chihana connected with a Malinda free-kick to make it 2-1.

The goal proved decisive.

Allen Chihana finished the competition with four goals, earning the Golden Boot. He also scored in every match Ekhaya played in the tournament, making him one of the outstanding performers of the competition.

The triumph further underlines Ekhaya's impressive record against Blantyre's traditional giants. The team have remained unbeaten against both Bullets and Wanderers in five meetings this year.

Ekhaya have also become the first debutants to win the Airtel Top 8, excluding the inaugural edition, which was won by Silver Strikers.

They join Bullets, Silver Strikers, Wanderers and Blue Eagles as the only clubs to have lifted the trophy.

Wanderers missed an opportunity to win their second Airtel Top 8 title and draw level with Silver Strikers, who have won the competition twice.

Bullets remain the most successful side in the competition, having won the trophy four times.

Chatama praises discipline

Ekhaya head coach Enos Chatama praised his players for their tactical awareness and defensive discipline, saying those qualities were crucial to their victory.

Chatama acknowledged that Wanderers played good football and created problems after half-time, but said his players remained disciplined and tactically organised.

"I'm happy as a coach, though winning a cup is not everything. We have to look at the future of the team. We can win today and have a bad future, or we can win today and cement a good future. But there's a lot to work on in the team to make it better," Chatama said.

He was also quick to play down comparisons between Ekhaya and Wanderers.

"We have beaten Wanderers, but we are not yet at the level of Wanderers. They are a better team and we have to congratulate them. They played good football today; only that we were disciplined and tactically good. Our team has a long way to go before we become a better team," he said.

Mpinganjira accepts defeat

Wanderers coach Bob Mpinganjira accepted the defeat and congratulated Ekhaya for their achievement.

"It is a disappointing result for us, but it is a game of football. Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. We were not creative in the game, making it hard for us. It is not the end of the world. We need to wake up and focus on the coming games," Mpinganjira said.

Analyst predicts bright future

Football analyst Ojuku Malunga has described Ekhaya's triumph as a major warning to other clubs, saying the side could soon establish itself as one of the country's football giants.

Malunga attributed the team's success to investment, proper structures and strong leadership.

"Hearing that their president William Mpinganjira pumped in K2.5 billion into the team is a message that they are very serious about building the team. We have had problems in our football because of a lack of investment, but if you go to Zimbabwe, this is what they are doing," Malunga said.

However, he urged Ekhaya to improve their consistency if they are to challenge for the league title.

According to Malunga, the team have performed particularly well against big opponents but must learn to collect maximum points against all teams if they are to become genuine title contenders.

Following their historic triumph, Ekhaya FC will pocket K40 million from Airtel Malawi Plc, while runners-up Mighty Wanderers will receive K14 million.