* Peter Mponda’s Masters FC thumped 3-0 by his former club Silver Strikers coached by his former assistant Peter Mgangira
* As the Bankers take the top spot of the log table on goal difference sharing 9 points with Blue Eagles on 2nd position and Masters on 3rd
By Duncan Mlanjira
Straight from being champions of the 2nd tier NBS a bank National Division League, Red Lions have returned to their rightful place in the top tier FDH Bank Premiership by not losing all four games played so far following their 0-0 draw with giants Nyasa Big Bullets at Joyce Chitsulo Stadium in Mwanza this afternoon.
Advertisement
The Lions of Zomba drew their first two matches — 1-1 each with Creck Sporting Club and Ekhaya FC — before thumping Dedza Dynamos 3-0 last weekend and following the third draw, they have moved from 8th place to 6th, while the Bullets have moved to 4th place from two wins and two draws.
Meanwhile, in today’s headline fixture, Peter Mponda’s Masters FC were thumped 3-0 by his former club Silver Strikers, which is coached by his former assistant mentor Peter Mgangira.
The Bankers have toppled Masters FC from the top spot of the log table on goal difference as they share 9 points along with Blue Eagles. Following their 2-0 over Dedza Dynamos this afternoon at Dedza Stadium, the Eagles have moved to 2nd position from 6th — further pushing Mponda’s Masters FC to 3rd.
Played at Silver Stadium, the Bankers took the lead in the 22nd minute through Andrew Joseph before Festus Duwe made it 2-0 from the penalty spot five minutes from the halftime break.
McDonald Lameck put icing in the cake in 90+2 to frustrate Mponda, who led Silver Strikers to their first Super League title in 2024 after an 11-year wait. He took over Masters FC — who got disbanded in 2019 after being relegated from the Super League — but bought the rights of Baka City after it qualified for the FDH Bank Premiership having finished 3rd in the 2nd tier NBS Bank NDL.
Mponda served for the Bankers for just one season before returning to his former club, Nyasa Big Bullets for the 2025 season but after a spate of disappointing results, he was relieved of his duties before being taken aboard by the Cabinet Minister Alfred Gangata’s club, Masters FC.
The team so far have beaten Chitipa United 1-0, Karonga United 2-1 and Mitundu FC, new entrants into the elite league from the NBS Bank NDL.
The 4th-placed Silver Strikers, who finished 3rd in the TNM Super League 2025, won two of their three assignments of the FDH Bank Premiership, against Kamuzu Barracks 2-0 before thumping Moyale 4-1 and losing 0-1 last weekend in a city derby against Blue Eagles at Civo Stadium.
Advertisement
At Dedza Stadium, Blue Eagles beat Dedza Dynamos 2-0 through Micium Mhone 14th and Stacia Chibaka in 46th while Karonga United first scored in the 1-1 draw with MAFCO at Karonga Stadium through Kennedy Mwakabaghe in the 3rd minute and MAFCO equalising late in the 83rd through Awalu Alli.
The honours table has Civil Service United on 5th place having lost 0-1 to Chitipa United yesterday, Red Lions on 6th and Mighty Wanderers on 7th, who beat Mitundu Luanar FC 2-0 at Dedza Stadium through goals from veteran striker Muhammad Sulumba in the 14th minute and midfielder Blessings Singini’s strike 10 minutes to the break.
Red Lions, Wanderers and Chitipa United share 6 points each but separated by goal difference putting Chitipa on 8th while Ekhaya FC, registered their first win in three attempts when they beat Moyale Barracks 2-0, are 9th — with Kamuzu Barracks on 10th after beating Creck Sporting Club 3-1 yesterday.
Four teams share 4 points each but separated by goal difference, Ekhaya (9th); Kamuzu Barracks (10th); Mitundu (11th); and Moyale (12th), with MAFCO on 13th with 3 points — while those in relegation zone are Karonga United on 14th with 2 points; Creck SC (15th/2pts) and Dedza Dynamos (16th/1pt).
