Height Of The Sky
Moses Parts Qi
The Birds might have maintained a positive record in this season's World Battle tournament against some of the best around the globe, but there was no mistaking the spanking that Zambian II.2 contenders Skylla Lusaka City dealt out to them today. National midfield general Mangani Mbangweta strutted his stuff against a burnt-out Grilled XI, with captain Moses Chungu striking once the iron was sufficiently heated.
Now, on paper, this was at least a competitive contest, what with Grilled's forward line favoured to breach Lusaka's expansive back three a few times at least. Player-coach Benny Sianzyunge had forged an unduly-cohesive defensive unit out of his domestic core, though, one which proved more than up to the task of denying a Birds attack that appeared to be going through the motions at times.
Grilled were hardly helped by the continued flat-footedness of
Hong Kang Leong, whose liability against mobility is getting increasingly concerning by the week - and they don't come much more mobile than Kenyan Number Nine Steven Mawathe and Zambian international Harward Manda. Granted, they were not the ones to put it past
Dimitris Germanakos, but the first thirteen minutes would see them rack up an assist each - one for Alfred Cissé, the other for Mbangweta, who disregarded all comers in his single-minded charge.
The Birds' most productive area, which was not saying much, would be their left wing, where
Hwang Teck Fu found occasional success against Ethiopian counterpart Habtamu Mebratu, who had a habit of tucking inside.
Lim An Keng wasn't on the same wavelength in the sixteenth minute, sadly, and it would be 3-0 at half-time after Peter Mukwena made the most of Mbangweta's direction on a 25th minute push.
Tian Yonghang's not even rising from the dugout to meet his players as they trudged into the tunnel was concerning, and it was perhaps only to be expected as the Zambians continued thumping Grilled. The deceptively-close possession counted for little as the Birds were stagnant on the ball, and when Moses Chungu outpaced
Hong Kang Leong easily for the fourth on the hour, Tian would finally see fit to end his misery with a substitution out for
Damian Hutter.
The exchange would lift Grilled for a bit, mostly due to the defensive line now able to avoid sitting on the edge of the penalty area, but
Lim An Keng would fail to connect with another of Hwang's inventive crosses in the 69th minute. Four minutes later, it would be Steven Mawathe to take
Ha Qicai on as Skylla Lusaka City played it quickly up the middle, and the Hong Kong defender would only manage to push Mawathe slightly off to the outside, which was not enough. That was 5-0, with 73 minutes gone.
The Lusaka fans were dancing now, as Tian threw the dice once more with
Paulino Trindade on for Hwang in the 80th minute, which brought perhaps Grilled's best chance of the night.
Mohd Marzuki Khairul would finally go around Kwaku Emith with his inimitable off-the-ball running style, coupled with Trindade's unique eye for a pass. Even this combination wasn't enough against Cape Verde Number One Jesus Palácios' agility, unfortunately, as Marzuki's first-touch blast off his laces was still saved.
It was then a buzzed Moses Chungu to complete the destruction with his own hat-trick, as
Damian Hutter proved scarce more able to cope with his dribbling, than the departed Hong.
Lim An Keng looked completely disconsolate at the final whistle, if possibly a teeny bit relieved that it had spared his team further humiliation.
