Previous encounters between the two sides
* The Nomads should expect the sternest test they have faced so far this season—Ekhaya coach Enos Chatama
By Duncan Mlanjira
Mighty Wanderers and Ekhaya FC are considered as almost sister clubs that are bankrolled by a common sponsor Ekhaya Farms Foods managed by the family of Nomads’ president Thom Mpinganjira.
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The two sides face each other off in Matchweek 7 of the FDH Bank Premiership this Saturday at Mpira Stadium — with the defending league champions, Wanderers leading the log table.
The Nomads are in the lead based on goal difference of nine as they share 13 points with runners-up Silver Strikers and 3rd-placed Blue Eagles while Ekhaya are on position 5 with 10 points and a goal difference of five.
Thus if the Cowboys will win, they will need to score up to over five goals to nil to be ahead of the Nomads as they would shall 13 points.
Ekhaya coach Enos Chatama has fired warning shots, telling the Cowboys’ Media that the Nomads “should expect the sternest test they have faced so far this season”.
The Cowboys stumbled from the start and picked themselves up masterfully, that included holding Nyasa Big Bullets to a 1-1 draw in the quarterfinals of the Airtel Top 8 2026 played at Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe last Saturday.
They came from a goal down ahead of the second leg next month, whose winners will face winners between Wanderers and Creck Sporting Club, whose first leg was won by the Nomads on a good cushion of two goals to nil.
On 3rd place, Blue Eagles will host Karonga United on Sunday at Nankhaka Stadium. Karonga are on 8th place with 8 points and a win on Sunday and going forward are much more important since they are on the cut off point for the next edition of the Airtel Top 8.
Masters FC, on 4th place with 12 points, face 17th-placed Creck Sporting at Bingu National Stadium. Creck just earned 2 points so far and are precariously in the relegation zone that’s very difficult to get out of unless you start winning the rest of the matches.
Sixth-placed Nyasa Big Bullets with 10 points travel to Civo Stadium on Sunday to face former league champions Kamuzu Barracks, who are on 14th place with 4 points.
Red Lions
Red Lions, who returned into the elite league they were relegated from three seasons ago, have so far made their mark by winning two matches, drawing two and losing once to perch of 7th with 9 points.
They returned after being crowned the inaugural national 2nd-tier NBS Bank National Division League (NDL) alongside their runners-up Mitundu Baptist and 3rd-placed Baka City, a team that was bought off to become Masters FC.
The Lions of Zomba have 8 points and they will host 13 placed Chitipa United (6 points) at Zomba Stadium on Sunday while Mitundu — who also partnered with LUANAR FC to brand to LUANAR Mitundu — are on 10th place with 7 points and will face Moyale (9th/8pts) on Sunday at Rumphi Stadium.
MAFCO, who are on 12th place with 6 points, will host 15th-placed Dedza Dynamos, who have just 4 points in the relegation zone.
Previous Lilongwe City derby between Silver and Civil Service United
Meanwhile, headline fixture of Matchweek 7 is the Capital City derby between Silver Strikers and 11th-placed Civil Service United with 7 points to be played at Civo Stadium on Saturday.
Civil Service go into the game having lost three back-to-back league games, but this is a fixture where previous form doesn’t count even though Silver strikers carry the advantage as the Bankers are in currently in fine form — having so far won four games, drawing once and losing once.
They have also been clinical in front of goal banging in 10 goals and just conceding twice.
Revenge is what the servants need as they lost both fixtures last season, going down 0-2 away and 0-1 at home and between them, they have had 28 meetings between in which the Bankers have dominated, winning 13 while Civil have won eight and seven ending in draws.
Silver have also been ruthless when faced with the goal netting an impressive 36 goals, while United have found the back of their net on 26 occassions.
Saturday’s fixture carry an important statistic for Yankho Billiati, who switched from Civil Service to Silver at the start of the season along with Festus Duwe who also switched from Area 9 to Area 47.—Additional reporting on Lilongwe derby by SULOM Media
