* Best Midfielder of the Year; 2024 club Player of the Season and Top Goal Scorer with 22 goals
* 17 of the goals from the TNM Super League 2024 — five away from contenders Creck Sporting’s George Chaomba and Kamuzu Barracks’ Zeliat Nkhoma (both 12)
* Was also voted Best Male Footballer; Best Sports Personality and Entertainer of the Entertainers (male) in MBC Entertainer of the Year Awards
By Duncan Mlanjira
Mighty Wanderers attacking midfielder, Isaac Kaliati has proved to be player of the season as he has hauled three accolades from his club’s Presidential Ball yesterday, New Year’s Eve — taking home the Best Midfielder of the Year; 2024 club Player of the Season and Top Goal Scorer with 22 goals.
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Seventeen of the goals were from the TNM Super League 2024 — five away from contenders Creck Sporting’s George Chaomba and Kamuzu Barracks’ Zeliat Nkhoma (both 12), earning him the Golden Boot.
Nicknamed ‘aChair’, Kaliati was also voted Best Male Footballer; Best Sports Personality and Entertainer of the Entertainers (male) in MBC Entertainer of the Year Awards in which Wanderers were voted 2024 Best Male Football Team — ahead of TNM Super League Champions, Silver Strikers and champions of the FDH Bank Cup 2024 and Airtel Top 8 2024, Nyasa Big Bullets.
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Journalist Howard Mlozi, writing on his Facebook page on December 17 after Kaliati picked his MBC Entertainer of the Year awards, maintained that the attacking midfielder “displayed a spectacular performance since the opening of the TNM Super League 2024”.
“With his fierce attacks and freekicks, Kaliati has been saving his team and became one of the supporters’ favorite choice,” he said. “Popularly known as freekick specialist, Atcheya Isaac Kaliati is a midfielder who has managed to score 17 goals and become the top goal scorer of 2024 season at his Lali Lubani side.
“He also broke the record of the last year’s top goal scorer, Clement Nyondo despite being a midfielder and Kaliati’s exploits in the season motivated former Malawi national team coach, Patrick Mabedi to call him for national duties as a replacement of Richard Mbulu who was reportedly sick
“Mabedi saw Kaliati as the best replacement due to his terrific performance,” Mlozi of the player, who won 5 TNM Super League League 2024 Man of the Match awards alongside Kamuzu Barracks’ Zeliat Nkhoma.
Meanwhile, the Nomads also recognised top performances for several other players, with William Thole voted as Goalkeeper of the Year; Timothy Silwimba as Defender of the Year while Clement Nyondo, who was top scorer in the Castel Challenge Cup, voted as Striker of the Year.
Timothy Silwimba (right)
Clement Nyondo (right)
Francisco Madinga’s goal against Cobbe Barracks in the FDH Bank Cup was recognised as the club’s Goal of the Season with goalkeeper Richard Chipuwa honoured for Most Disciplined Player of the Year.
Coach Bob Mpinganjira, who had been an assistant to Meke Mwase before the head coach went AWOL and he steered the team to second place of the TNM Super League 2024 and the Castel Challenge Cup 2024 triumph, was decorated with a special recognition award by club president, Thom Mpinganjira’s for winning the Castel Challenge Cup and for sticking with the team during hard times.
Bob Mpinganjira (right) receiving the special award from Thom Mpinganjira
This triumph the Nomads’ 24 months trophy-less period in three tournaments of TNM Super League (2023, 2024), FDH Bank 2023, 2024), Airtel Top 8 (2023, 2024) and the Castel Challenge Cup (2023).
Also recognised is the club’s women football player, Grace Gumba as Mighty Wanderers Queens’ Player of the Season with Wanderers Reserve players also being recognised for excellent performance — Lemani Kasiya (Player of the Season) and Golden Mafunga (Youth Player of the Season.
Wanderers Club Media reported that at yesterday’s Presidential Ball, club president Mpinganjira hailed Wanderers legends for providing technical advice to the team and highlighted plans to develop Wanderers Club House along Lali Limbani Road as a business hub for the team.
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Mpinganjira is also reported to have warned against indiscipline amongst the players, saying the club won’t tolerate such behaviour and also bemoaned violence during football games emphasising that it destroys club reputation and costs the club gravely.
Meanwhile, the Nomads have signed striker Promise Kamwendo has this morning, January 1, penned a three year deal, who spent last three seasons at Dedza Dynamos where he scored a total of 29 goals.
