Cross-town rivals Mighty Wanderers and FCB Nyasa Big Bullets will be aiming to maintain their perfect start to the season when they return to action this week.
Bullets have started the season ;like a house on fire collecting maximum points in the open 5 fixtures and have also been ruthless in front of goal scoring 16 times and just letting in just 1 goal.
On the hand, their neighbours have also been collecting the points for their own winning all their 4 opening matches and currently occupy second place breathing down the neck of their rivals.
This weekend the 2 Blantyre giants welcome guests from the Capital Lilongwe with Bullets being the first to take to the field of play on Saturday to face Kamuzu Barracks.
Bullets’ perfect start to the season will again be put to test when they welcome the unpredictable KB who are coming from a 0-0 midweek draw with Creck Sporting.
Striker Zeliat Nkhoma has been in fine form this season netting 4 goals in 6 games and Bullets’ defence must be on guard to keep the red hot forward in check.
Bullets will be reminded that when the 2 sides last met at Champion stadium in a pre-season friendly, KB emerged victorious and that defeat still haunts Coach Peter Mponda as it is the only defeat he has suffered since taking over the reins from Zimbabwean tactician Calisto Pasuwa at the start of the season.
For Bullets, their strength this season has been the ability to bang the goals for fun whilst at the same time guarding their goal area jealously.
And Coach Peter Mponda will be hoping that such fine form continues this Saturday when they host the yellow submarine.
Elsewhere at Chitowe, it is a brotherly affair as 2 military sides clash.
Mafco FC welcome the unbeaten Moyale which has currently won 2 games and drawn twice and currently occupy 7th place while for MAFCO their season hasn’t really gotten off to a perfect start winning twice and losing on 3 occasions and currently occupy 11th position.
Saturday’s action finishes at Nankhaka where Blue Eagles play host to early strugglers Mzuzu City Hammers whose drop in form has seen them now move just a place above the bottom place.
Hammers have had a season of contrasting fortunes to their own performance last season in which they finished on position 4.
However this season life hasn’t been easy as they occupy position 15 with 4 points from 4 games and have already exited one domestic cup.
Their situation now has moved from bad to worse as with only 4 games played, they have gone back on the market in search of a new head coach following the resignation of head coach Steve Nkwinika who left immediately after their cup exit over the weekend.
In the absence of Nkwinika, Team Manager Lazarus Nyemera is in temporary charge of the team until a new head coach is found.
For Eagles, they have shown their own form of consistency since returning to top flight football as in 6 games they have won 2, drawn 2 and lost 2.
Sunday’s attention will shift to Kamuzu Stadium where second placed Mighty Wanderers welcome defending champions Silver Strikers.
Revenge is the ultimate mission for the Lali Lubani boys as last season they were humiliated by the central bankers both home and away with that home defeat being the victory which saw Silver being crowned champions.
So, when the two sides clash, Bob Mpinganjira’s boys will be all out blazing to avenge that last season humiliation and maintain their perfect start to the season.
For the Bankers, their season is now picking up after a slow start and reaching this far they have collected 7 points from 4 games and currently are on position 8, 5 points adrift of their opponent.
Bankers new signing Festus Duwe has been a marvel to watch since joining the area 47 side at the start of the season and coach Peter Mgangira will be hoping that the youthful attacker maintains that fine form on Sunday.
In Mchinji at Aubrey Dimba ground it is a battle of the season’s early wounded buffaloes as 14th placed Creck sporting hosts 16th placed Songwe Boarder.
3 points separate the 2 teams but they are sharing certain things in common.
Both teams have been struggling in front of goal as they have only managed to score 3 goals in 6 games.
Creck have conceded 9 goals so far while Songwe have been so generous so far donating 19 goals in 6 games averaging 3 per game.
Interim Creck Coach Harry Saidi will be out there aiming to impress his new bosses that he is capable of managing the team after taking over from the suspended Joseph Kamwendo but on Sunday he faces a fellow hungry lion in Christopher Nyambose who he too is in search of his first win since assuming the position of head coach as he heads into his third match in charge.
We wrap up Matchweek 8 with action in Dedza where 12th placed Civil United play guest to Dedza Dynamos.
Dedza will be aiming to start on a high a new lease of life following the sacking of head coach Andrew Bunya due to poor results.
And on Sunday they hosts the Civil servant who too haven’t yet had a perfect start to the season.
Interestingly both teams have an average of a single point per game with Civil collecting 5 points in 5 games while Dedza have managed 6 in 6.
Will the visiting Lilongwe brothers stop the high flying Blantyre giants?
Who gets the last laugh at Aubrey Dimba ground?
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