The past 7 days have been memorable to Malawi as a nation.
First on 16 September this year, Malawians across the country took to the ballot to elect a new president, members of parliament as well ward councilors.
Secondly the past week saw the return to continental football for two of the country’s football powerhouses: Mighty Wanderers and Silver Strikers.
These 2 separate activities kept the masses busy in the absence of action in the TNM Super league.
This weekend though, action returns in the top flight league with games spread across the country.
We start at Kamuzu Stadium where league leaders FCB Nyasa Big Bullets welcome Dedza Dynamos with an aim of extending their lead at the top of the summit with 4 points as their closest challenger Mighty Wanderers are away in Botswana on CAF Confederations Cup assignment.
Since that first round last day 3-3 disappointing home draw against Karonga United, Bullets seem to have picked up their pieces as they remain unbeaten in both league and cup football.
Peter Mponda’s troops have also been ruthless in front of goal netting the all-important goals for fun and it doesn’t come as a surprise that forwards Babatunde Adepoju and Chikumbutso Salima have emerged as front runners for this season’s golden boot award.
On Saturday, they face a Dedza Dynamos side currently on 9th position with 21 points.
Dynamos have struggled for form this season after selling a number of its key players to top super league sides.
At 21 points, they are just 5 points from the drop zone and the narrative can change if results don’t go their way in the next 2 games, as such their fixture against Bullets has huge potential of defining their fate.
Still on Saturday, high flying Civo Service United welcome neighbours Kamuzu Barracks at Civo Stadium.
The Civil servants have been enjoying some rich vein of form late and last time they were in action in the league the saw off big money spenders Ekhaya FC 1-0 and Coach Abbas Makawa will be banking on that result to keep the momentum going in his team.
The Servants have all the chances of moving into the top 4 if they collect all maximum points over Kamuzu Barracks.
On the other hand, KB’s inconsistencies haven’t done them any justice reaching this far, as from 17 games the former Super league champions have managed to collect 25 points and are currently on position 7.
Action on Saturday concludes at Champion stadium where relegation threatened MAFCO FC welcome Ekhaya FC.
The 2 teams come into the match with contrasting fortunes. While MAFCO’s target is to move out of the danger zone as they currently occupy 13th position with 18 points just 2 above 14th placed Tigers FC, Ekhaya on the end are still eyeing a top 4 position as they current occupy 6th position with 26 points,4 adrift of a top 4 slot.
On Sunday, 2 of Lilongwe’s mini rivals Creck Sporting and Blue Eagle square up in Mchinji at the Aubrey Dimba stadium.
The attention will be on Creck coach Eliah Kananji who left Blue Eagles to join Creck in the early stages of the season.
Since his arrival at Creck, his side has been struggling for consistency failing to breakthrough into the top 4 and currently lie on position 10 with 20 points from 17 games whilst their Sunday’s opponents are on position 8 with 24 points from same number of games.
A Creck win would see them just move one step up into 9th place assuming Dedza won’t get a result on Saturday against Bullets while as for the Eagles, a win has huge potential of elevating them into position 5.
In Sunday’s other fixtures, northern region sides Chitipa United and Moyale Barracks face off against each other at Chitipa Stadium whilst Karonga United entertain bottom side Songwe United.
Any result apart from a Songwe win will mark the continued countdown of their days in the top flight league as after 17 games, 2 points is what Christopher Nyambose’s boys have managed to amass.
