Silver Strikers and Mighty Mukuru Wanderers will hope to record wins on Wednesday afternoon when they host Baka City FC and Mafco FC respectively in their quest to chase for the revived, rebranded and reformed TNM Super League glory.
FCB Nyasa Big Bullets will be itching to return home with four points as they visit Civil Service United at Civo Stadium, in another game which promises fireworks.
Mponda says Silver deserve the title
Silver Strikers Head Coach, Peter Mponda said his team deserves to have their hands on the TNM Super League Silverware after having a relentless season as they are keeping on flying.
After losing all the cups losing to Blue Eagles, FCB Nyasa Big Bullets and Panthers FC in FDH Bank Cup, Top 8 Cup and Castel Challenge Cup respectively, the Central Bankers directed their last hope to the league title as it was the main target at Area 47 this season.
After a barren stalemate against the defending Champions, Mponda, the former Flames skipper, said the Bankers are merited winners of this season’s league after collecting four points over FCB Nyasa Big Bullets.
“We were playing the defending Champions, the team which has won five league titles in five years. We have to put in much effort to win the league and the guys showed that they really want to win this league. At the end of the league, we deserve to win this league, we haven’t lost any games this season and we have a 5-point gap, which means we need to lose two games for them to leapfrog us, we have the space,” he said.
The League leaders will now shift the focus from Bullets’ game and show character against resurrected relegated Baka City FC at Silver Stadium this afternoon.
The Clever Boys are unbeaten in their last three games, stunning their fellow rookies, Friends of Mulanje Orphans, FOMO Football Club 2-1 at Karonga Stadium before holding Dedza Dynamos and Mighty Waka Waka Tigers. They are visiting a team which is still unbeaten after playing 26 games this season, but Kondwani Mwalweni said his boys are not in the Capital City to know the town.
“Of course, it’s a big game but we are well prepared for the Bankers. It is not going to be a walkover for Silver Strikers, people can be surprised. Anything can happen and anything happens in football. We can’t just go without fighting,” he said.
Silver Strikers were 2-0 winners in Karonga in the first half of the season and they would like to continue with their flying form. The Bankers last won the league in 2013.
League is still open, we will fight until the end, says Bob Mpinganjira
Mighty Mukuru Wanderers interim coach, Bob Mpinganjira said his players will fight for the championship until the last breath as they consider the league as still open.
The Nomads are welcoming Mafco FC at Kamuzu Stadium on Wednesday afternoon as the battle for the championship takes a giant step. With four games to go before wrapping the campaign, Mpinganjira’s men are five points behind Silver Strikers.
Wanderers are facing Mafco FC before taking on their title rivals, Silver Strikers over the weekend in a game which is deemed as the title decider. After that, Wanderers will play two away games against Moyale Barracks and CRECK Sporting Club.
Bob Mpinganjira said it is too early to give up the title race with four games. “What we want is to win tomorrow’s game so that we can still maintain our contention [for the Championship].
“The game against CRECK Sporting Club is gone and it is water under the bridge, now we are focusing on our league game against Mafco FC, we know that it will be a tough game considering where they [Mafco FC] are coming from. We are ready for them, we have discussed with the players the importance of the game and they look sharp.”
Mighty Mukuru Wanderers will have to do without their three players, attacker Gaddie Chirwa, defender Peter Cholopi and attacking midfielder, Mphatso Kamanga as they have all been ruled out for the game against Mafco FC.
Bob confirmed during the pre-match interviews with the Club’s Media on Tuesday saying, “so far, the same three players, Gaddie Chirwa, Mphatso Kamanga and Peter Cholopi will miss the game.”
Kamanga, the former Karonga United midfielder is currently in Zimbabwe where he is expected to undergo a surgical procedure after sustaining an injury in August this year when the team was playing against Dedza Dynamos.
He left the country on Monday through Chileka International Airport and he is expected to return home next week Friday as the Nomads said there are no health facilities in Malawi that can manage to treat his injury.
Mighty Mukuru Wanderers have just suffered two defeats against Mafco FC in the TNM Super League since 2016, losing 3-2 at Kamuzu Stadium in 2016 and 1-0 in December 2020 courtesy of Walusungu Mpata. They have won four of their last seven games against the Salima based Soldiers with three games ending in stalemate.
Mafco FC are coming from a drubbing 6-1 humbling defeat to Silver Strikers and facing Wanderers presents a chance for them to bounce back. They played four games unbeaten before losing to Silver Strikers.
Civil, Bullets renew rivalry in Capital
Fans will be divided in the Capital City this afternoon as Civo Stadium hosts another cracking game. Old-aged rivals, Civil Service United and FCB Nyasa Big Bullets are facing off with each team hunting for their own targets.
It was confirmed on Sunday that Bullets will not defend the league following their barren stalemate against the league leaders, Silver Strikers but fighting for the second position remains the main target for the visiting side.
Bullets have never finished below second on the table of the TNM Super League in a decade, finishing as runners up in 2013, 2016, 2017 and winners in 2014, 2015, 18, 2019, 2020-21, 2022, and 2024. While battling for their own win, the people’s team will also be throwing their interest in the game between their Neighbors, Mighty Mukuru Wanderers and Mafco FC.
FCB Nyasa Big Bullets Head Coach, Kalisto Pasuwa knows that it will not be an easy task to get all points against the Servants who are coming from a blistering performance as they won 3-0 against Karonga United.
“Civil is a team that wouldn’t just give you points without sweating for them. You need to be tactically good to collect points away from them. You have seen when we play against them in Blantyre. They give us torrid times. It’s something that we need to knock sense into our boys to work hard against one of the best teams in Malawi, which is tactically good when they are approaching us,” said Pasuwa.
Bullets hold a record of 28 wins across all competitions against Civil Service United since 2008 against the Servants’ 4 but the last games between the two heavyweights have been tight. Bullets were 2-0 winners in a second-legged tie in the Top 8 Cup, 1-0 winners in the FDH Bank Cup but points were shared in the first half of the Season.
Actions continue over the weekend with a big blue battle as Silver Strikers visit Mighty Mukuru Wanderers, Mzuzu City Hammers visiting Dedza Dynamos Football Club on Saturday. FOMO FC will be at home against Bullets and Bangwe All Stars will be visitors to Karonga United on Sunday.
