* Ahead of the match, Bangwe were on the bottom 16th place but are now on 14th with 2 points
* Sharing with MAFCO and separated on goal difference of -3 for Bangwe and -5 of MAFCO
By Duncan Mlanjira
The 0-0 draw Mighty Wanderers salvaged today over Bangwe All Stars — which if the Nomads had won by at least 4-0 could was made the Nomads reclaim top spot of the TNM Super League 2024, was a huge blessing for Bangwe as it has helped them move two steps up on relegation zone.
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Ahead of the match, Bangwe were on the bottom 16th place but are now on 14th with 2 points, sharing with MAFCO and separated on goal difference of – 3 for Bangwe and -5 of MAFCO.
Meanwhile, Wanderers — who were 4th position following yesterday’s results — are now 3rd, displacing champions Nyasa Big Bullets, who had claimed the spot yesterday after beating 2-1 debutantes from Karonga, Baka City at Kamuzu Stadium yesterday.
Another debutantes, FOMO — who were 12th as of yesterday’s results— are now 9th following their 1-0 win over Chitipa United today from Chimwemwe Nyoni’s 20th minute goal, while Karonga United, who beat Mighty Tigers 2-0 are now on 7th — up from 7th as of yesterday.
In other matches, Civil Service United lost 0-2 against Kamuzu Barracks while Moyale drew 0-0 with Dedza Dynamos.
From 8th position in Week 1 of the TNM Super League 2024 after drawing 1-1 with Dedza United, followed by 11th in Week 2 after another draw 0-0 with Mighty Tigers and 6th after beating Chitipa United 3-0, champions Nyasa Big Bullets edged closer to the top as they occupied 3rd position as of yesterday.
This followed their 2-1 win yesterday over debutantes from Karonga, Baka City at Kamuzu Stadium in which they were given a scare after the visitors’ Geoffrey Mwakyembe netted in the 13th minute and the champions had to dig deep to equalise eight minutes later — 21st by Ephraim Kondowe before Chawanangwa Gumbo’s 43rd minute lead.
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Meanwhile, Silver Strikers have deposed Mighty Wanderers from the top following their 5-1 massacre of MAFCO yesterday (Binwell Katinji (P) 34′; Adiel Kaduya 49′, 55′; Tatenda M’balaka 67′ and Patrick Macheso 90+5) with Marshall Mapuwa being the first to find the net in the 13th minute.
Creck Sporting, who led for two weeks, have been further pushed to 6th position from 5th in Week 3 having lost 1-2 against Mzuzu City Hammers in which the trailed 0-2 (Erick Kaonga 26′ and Isaac Msiska 56′) all the way until George Chaomba claimed the consolation in 90’+5’.
There is all to fight for this season as TNM Plc has increased sponsorship of the Super League by 350% from K150 million to K500 million, of which the winner shall receive K100 million with the runners-up going home with K40 million and third place at K30 million.
From the package, K176 million will go towards teams’ prizes with with K10 million to individual awards and K160 million towards teams’ subventions — with each team pocketing K10 million.
TNM has also set aside K50 million for grassroots football, a development Football Association of Malawi (FAM) president Fleetwood Haiya described that it will play a key role in fulfilling the FAM’s key strategic pillar on youth football development.
So the race is on to dethrone defending champions, Nyasa Big Bullets, who won the title last year for the 5th consecutive seasons — their 17th since the top flight league was formed in 1986.
Last season, they won a historic quadruple — the TNM Super League, FDH Bank Cup, Castel Challenge Cup, the Airtel Top 8 as well as the season opener, the FAM NBS Bank Charity Shield 2023.
They have also won this year’s FAM NBS Charity Shield after beating Silver Strikers through post-match penalties.
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