Striker Mwiya Malumo scored his debut goal for Zambia on Saturday to put their 2019 U20 AFCON first round qualifying contest to bed in a 1-1 home draw with Rwanda at Nkoloma Stadium in Lusaka.
The result sees Zambia through 3-1 on aggregate to the final qualifying stage in July as the defending champions continue their battle for a ticket to Niger.
It wasn’t plain sailing at base in the teams’ debut home game in front of their fans after kicking off the 2019 qualifiers away in Kigali where they beat Rwanda 2-0 on May 12.
Rwanda came back strongly after 20 minutes of the first half when Zambia failed to punish the visitors following wasted chances by Lameck Banda in the 6th and 10th minutes while Francesco Mwepu had a glorious one-on-one shot the 14th minute saved by Fiacre Ntwari.
Mwepu then saw his clear penalty denied midway through the first half before the two sides went evenly poised at 0-0 into the break.
But Malumo settled the 2017 champions nerves with a clever goal from an acute angle in the 52nd minute on his way to capping a convincing 90 minutes of football by the 18-year-old.
Malumo repaid the faith coach Charles Bwale put in starting the Wigan striker after making his debut in the away leg as a late substitute in the last five minutes in Kigali.
Meanwhile, Rwanda scored a fine consolation goal through a fine Gueulette Marie scissors kick in the 69th minute off a Christian Ishimwe cross.
But Mwepu then failed to put the result beyond doubt when his 84th minute penalty was parried by Ntwari.
Then visitors were down to ten men in stoppage time when Prince Buegeya saw red to end their interest on the road to Niger.
Zambia will face Sudan or Burundi in July in the last qualifying round.
Burundi visit Sudan on Sunday with the two sides tied at 1-1 from the first leg in Bujumbura on May 12.
Well done my Boy!!! wishing all the very best for the future!!
UNCLEEE
Good Job.
Let’s roll … thanks a trillion for making the smart people of the Zambian Enterprise proud.
Bring home the bacon!!
nice on boys!!!
I hope we play Sudan too much blood in Burundi. at least Sudan’s blood is drying up
Blood never dries up! Ask Charmaine in Chilanga. She is mute now but this will torment her until one day she will tell us the truth even on her dying bed!
Malumo was man of the match. Congrats boys
This boy is a powerful football player, I see him doing wonders in Zambia main team he thinks like a natured.
Did HH play?
Hogwash ….. shut up
Yes he did….kkkkk…he came on as a super sub….
This boy is a powerful football player, I see him doing wonders in Zambia main team he thinks like a matured player.
MALUMO should not be called again for national duties, let him mature in WIGAN the boy runs like a headless chicken no direction what so ever, ruanda played better than zambia who shall be booted out by SUDAN.As u are aware for sudan zambia is a customer kuchaiwa pekapeka pamene pamatakho
Someone has passion to play for his country you open your big mouth to criticise him. ANYOKO, Next time we play we shall give you jersey 9 tukamone. Muletasha
Wrong chap, this ANYOKO!!
Congrats young chipolopolo. Well-done Malumo on your debut goal! what’s with Rwanda and red cards? They had one in 1st leg in Rwanda.
You can always come out with the best from the headless chicken this is y Bwale is there to do his job football is full of corrections that’s the way to go
Though we’ve gone thru to the final round, most our play was disjointed, leaving our technical bench with a lot of work to do, esp in midfield & attack!
Definitely a shadow of the Mwepu/Daka inspired U20 national team…
Ba Jeke, muletasha!! Why are we Zambians so negative??
congratulations guys for the hard earned victory over Rwanda . Continue to up your game in the coming encounters
Kwempe!
What a name,ati ANYOKO.
Anyoko is not a Zambian, it is these Rwandans who have over stayed in Zed and lent a bit f Nyanja.
Please don’t speak ill of our brothers and sisters from Rwanda. We need to mind what we say about fellow Africans. I personally look forward to visiting Rwanda to appreciate the level of development. They have done better than Zambia. It’s now as if the genocide took place in Zambia and not Rwanda. Viva President Paul Kagame!
Comment: congrats my people!
how many zambian players who is in uk europe but this two boy recognise zambia and you are here open your big mouth saying nosence about the young boy ukalete ba wiso bakese teya waumfwa
its you anyoko am talking to