Silver, Wanderers clash in title decider
The setting is the Bingu National Stadium for what is set to be the deciding match of this season’s championship as defending Champions Silver Strikers welcome league leaders Mighty Wanderers.
Wanderers are coming into the match leading the log table with 51 points from 21 games and a win on Saturday would open a 4 point gap over their
closest challengers FCB Nyasa Big Bullets who will be in action at Kamuzu Stadium 24 hours later against Civil Service United. Most importantly for the Nomads is that they have a game in hand over Bullets.
For Silver, they must win this one if they are to stand any slight chances of defending the title they won last season after 11 years.
THE MATHEMATICS
Surely a Mighty Wanderers win  would enhance their chances of grabbing the championship this season. With a 4 point gap at the top, all what the Nomads
would require between now and the end of the season is to avoid defeat in their remaining 8 matches and the title would be theirs as their closest
challenges FCB Nyasa Big Bullets can’t match their points tally. Defeat however would now complicate things for the Bob Mpinganjira boys as Bullets would now stand a chance of overtaking them with victory over Civil Service United.
For Silver, this is a must win game as with 20 games played, the Bankers occupy third place with 40 points but have a game in hand over Wanderers.
So a win for the Bankers would see them reducing the gap to 8 points and if they win their game in hand, that gap would further be reduced to 5,creating
an exciting situation for the remaining 6 matches of the season as that would see all the top 3 teams standing realistic chances of grabbing the championship.
Defeat though would automatically curtail their title ambitions as it will be too huge an obstacle to surmount to reach Wanderers’ points tally as the gap would be now widened further to 13 points with 8 games left to play.
POTENTIAL MATCH WINNERS
Big players win you big matches, they say. So on Saturday afternoon big players must rise to the occasion and show what they are made of. Wanderers strength this season has been their solid compatibility at the back where they are not letting in the goals so easily. Goalkeeper Dalitso Khungwa has been a marvel to watch in goals, keeping all the needed clean sheets, no wonder he is racing away with the golden glove. In defense Emmanuel Nyirenda has been a revelation for Bob Mpinganjira as he has settled so fast, demonstrating some sense of maturity alongside Timothy Silwimba and seasoned campaigner Stanley Sanudi.
In midfield Dan Kudonto has been bossing things up with Blessings Singini taking up a more advanced attacking role which has seen him banging the all-important goals with Adam Walesi filling in for the injured Wisdom Mpinganjira.
Upfront Bob Mpinganjira has a whole pool of talent to choose from in Blessings Mwalilino, Promise Kamwendo, Clement Nyondo, Muhammad Sulumba and
Cameroonian Sama.
For Silver Strikers coach Mgangira has some headache in defense as his ever present Vice Captain Maxwell Paipi is suspended for this one.
In Paipi’s absence Mgangira will have to partner Nickson Mwase with Reserve graduate Innocent Shema with Dan Sandukira and Macdonald Lameck occupying
the full back positions.
In midfield Mgangira might opt for experience in Chikondi Kamanga to team up with Levison Maganizo and man of the moment Uchizi Vunga.
Zebron Kalima will have to keep the supply taps open for Andrew Joseph upfront to do the damage.
This a fixture that the nomads need a result more.
It’s an opportunity to avenge their FDH Bank Cup final defeat suffered at the same venue some 2 weeks.
Furthermore the nomads are the only unbeaten team in the league so far and they will be going out there to preserve that status as they aim to become the first team to win the league without tasting defeat in so many years.
So the stage is set and all protocols have been observed it’s now time to get down to the business.
