* The People’s Team meet winners between Beck Academy v The Boyz in Round of 16 as Mighty Wanderers date Mzuzu City Hammers after beating MAFCO 3-1
* Mzuzu City Hammers saw off NBS Bank NDL side Baka City 7-6 in post match penalties having drawn 1-1 at full time while Silver Strikers beat Mighty Tigers 1-0 at Kamuzu Stadium
By Duncan Mlanjira
In their first encounter with Nyasa Big Bullets, Chilumba Barracks were terrorised by Babatunde Adepoju who scored four as the People’s Team’s 5-0 triumphed at Chitipa Stadium this afternoon in the FDH Bank Cup 2025 Round of 32.
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Babatunde — who is always a thorn in the fresh of every defence he faces — opened the floodgates in the 21st minute ahead of Chawanangwa Gumbo’s 24th minute strike — and he went on to increase the lead to 3-1 in the 34th and claimed his hat-trick in the 57th and his 4th in the 57th to oust the NBS Bank National Division League (NDL) side from the competition.
The four goals has put Babatunde well ahead on the race for the competition’s Golden Boot — two ahead of Kamuzu Barracks John Mchema, who scored a brace in their 3-1 triumph of Southern Region League side, FC Thondwe.
High fives fly for Bullets
Kamuzu Barracks’ first was an own goal from Emmanuel Phiri in the 8th minute while no one else has scored more than once in the 10 matches played over two days of this weekend as Thondwe pulled one back through Chikondi Mbeya from the penalty spot in the 41st when they were trailing 0-2 after Mchema’s 37th.
Meanwhile, Karonga United have been ousted at home by lower league side Chatoloma ADMARC 3-5 through post match penalties having played out to a 1-1 draw when the TNM Super League side equalised in the 79th minute through Allen Chihana after Laston Pingeni had put the visitors in the lead in the 37th.
Silver Strikers have gone back to base in Lilongwe having ousted fellow TNM Super League side, Mighty Tigers 1-0 through Charles Chipala’s 78th minute goal — while Blue Eagles struggled with bottom of the table Songwe Border United having played out to a 0-0 result after full time.
Blue Eagles, who have returned to the top flight having been relegated in 2023 but managed to win the FDH Bank Cup 2024, won 5-4 in a closely contested post match penalties.
Dedza Dynamos have been booted out by Creck Sporting Club 1-0 at their own turf at Dedza Stadium through a goal from Patrick Mapunza to date Moyale FC in the Round of 16 in the second week of September.
Mzuzu City Hammers saw off another NDL side, Baka City 7-1 in post match penalties having played to a 1-1 after 90 minutes but lost 1-7.
Baka, who are the immediate past participants of the TNM Super League 2024, managed to hold seasoned elite league side, Mzuzu City Hammers when they equalised through Hastings Ndawu in the 82nd minute having been one goal down from the the 44th through Hassan Luwembe’s goal.
Mzuzu City Hammers date Mighty Wanderers in Round of 16, who qualified yesterday at Kamuzu Stadium having beaten fellow TNM Super League side, MAFCO 3-1 through goals from Isaac Kaliati (62’), Blessings Singini (71’) and Blessings Zulu (88’) after MAFCO’s China Chirwa had pulled one back in the 87th.
Team of the moment in the TNM Super League in the debut appearance, were shown how unpredictable cup matches can be by being beaten 1-2 by Moyale FC, whom they beat 3-0 in the elite league’s first round.
Ekhaya scored first through Helmas Masinja in the 13th minute but Moyale equalised in the 19th by Charles Nkhoma before Raphael Phiri put them into the lead in the 32nd.
There was also another draw at 0-0 between two TNM Super League sides in which Civil Service United won 3-0 against Chitipa United in post match penalties.
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The Round of 32 will continue with NBS Bank NDL bottom of the league side, Jenda United against FC Shire; an all-NBS Bank NDL derby between Mchinji Villa and Mitundu Baptist; Zingwangwa United v M’mbelwa Warriors; Sporting FC v Bangwe All Stars; Beck Academy v The Boyz — and a Zomba City derby between Prison United and NBS Bank NDL leaders, Red Lions.
The excitement doesn’t stop there — it carries forward to the Round of 16 winners of Prison United v Red Lions to meet Civil Service United; Beck Academy/The Boyz v Nyasa Big Bullets; Sporting FC/Bangwe All Stars v Kamuzu Barracks; Zingwangwa United/M’mbelwa Warriors v Blue Eagles.
Then Creck Sporting Club v Moyale FC; Mchinji Villa/Mitundu Baptist v Chatoloma ADMARC; Mzuzu City Hammers v Mighty Wanderers and Jenda United/FC Shire v Silver Strikers.
The Round of 32 will be followed by the Round of 16 in second week of September — with the semifinals scheduled for first week of October while the final is on November 1.
