As out of form Ekhaya Welcome rock bottom Songwe
Defending Champions Silver Strikers return to domestic football action this Sunday as they travel down south for probably match week 19’s pick of the week fixture against current leaders FCB Nyasa Big Bullets at Kamuzu Stadium.
Buoyed by their CAF Champions league success which has seen them progress to the next round after seeing off Madagascar’s Elgeco Plus FC, Peter Mgangira’s boys have outstanding dues to settle with their Sunday’s opponents as the bankers went down 1-0 at home in the first round in this season’s official opening match at the Bingu National Stadium as such revenge is all what they will aim for this Sunday.
The Bankers have failed to reciprocate their last season’s form which saw them winning the league after an 11 year drought.
Much of their inconsistencies this season might be attributed to events that took place prior to season kick off chief among them being the unceremonious departure of head coach Peter Mponda who swapped sky blue for red.
This Sunday, Silver Players will have to be reminded that they are facing a team whose current Manager guided them to super league glory less than 250 days ago.
However they will have to forget the romantic moments they shared with their former boss as they cannot allow Bullets to do a double over them as that will have serious implications on their already diminishing chances of defending the championship with the Bankers currently occupying third position with 36 points,7 adrift of top spot.
For Bullets, maximum points is what they will all aim for to maintain pole position having opened a 4 point gap last weekend over closest champions and noisy neighbours Mighty Wanderers who are also in action on the same day in Dedza against Dedza Dynamos.
The nomads, with a game in hand will now have to play catch-up having seen Bullets open up a 4 point gap. Any slip up at this stage of the season is totally unacceptable for a team harboring serious aspirations of winning the championship.
On Sunday, Bob Mpinganjira’s boys will have to take matters by their own hands to claim maximum points against a Dedza side currently struggling for form having lost 3-0 away to Bullets in their last game and are not guaranteed of safety yet.
While the Nomads will be doing the damage by themselves, they will also have to render another ear to proceedings at Kamuzu Stadium where they will be hoping that visiting Silver Strikers can cause an upset so that Bullets should not open a 7 point gap at the top.
But before Sunday’s action, there are 3 fixtures on Saturday.
At Mpira Stadium, 2 sides struggling for form will square up against each other as Enos Chatama’s big spending Ekhaya FC entertain rock bottom Songwe Border United.
Chatama has seen his boys fail to sustain the momentum they started with in the first as they have now gone 3 games without a win in the second round, their worst run of form since earning promotion in the elite league.
The mid-season signing of goalkeeper Joshua Waka, midfielders Moses Banda and Blessings Malinda seem to have just worsened the situation as Ma Ekha have failed to tick in the second round.
They face a Songwe side living dangerously in the elite league as after 18 matches, Christopher Nyambose’s boys are yet to win.
Ekhaya coach Enos Chatama will be hoping that a win over Songwe would be that much needed turning point which his troops are looking for at this stage of the season.
As for Songwe, it slowly now a matter of time before their fate in the elite league is confirmed.
In Saturday’s other fixture Brothers in arms Kamuzu Barracks and Mafco FC face off at Champion Stadium while at Mzuzu it’s a battle of potential relegation candidates as Moyale Barracks welcome Tigers FC.
Back to Sunday, a resurgent Mzuzu City Hammers welcome an in-form Civil Service United at Mzuzu Stadium.
Hammers currently on position 15 with 15 points have mounted a serious hunt for points to escape relegation but this Sunday they face a civil side firing from all cylinders and on a serious mission to consolidate top 4 spot.
In other fixtures Blue Eagles FC welcome Karonga United at Nankhaka while at Aubrey Dimba in Mchinji, Creck Sporting play host to Chitipa United.
A win for any of the top 3 teams will make matters interesting in the battle for the championship while at the bottom, any drop of points means one is digging their own grave.
