
* The season first went on the break paving way for the international window for Flames’ FIFA World Cup 2026™ qualifiers
* As well as to observe mourning and burial of late Vice-President and eight others
* Sports Council has since lifted the suspension of all sporting activities it announced last week
* Urges continuation of honouring the memory and legacy of those have lost by embodying the spirit of peace, unity and excellence in sporting activities
By Duncan Mlanjira
Leaders Silver Strikers will be back to Blantyre to face Mighty Tigers on Monday at Kamuzu Stadium after beating reigning champions Nyasa Big Bullets 1-0 at the same venue in Week 9 before the TNM Super League 2024 went a three-week break.

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The season first went on the break paving way for the international window as Malawi Flames prepared and played in the Matchday 3 & 4 of the FIFA World Cup 2026™ qualifiers against São Tomé e Principe which they won 3-1 at Bingu National Stadium followed by the away 0-1 loss to Equatorial Guinea.
The loss in Malabo coincided with the tragic plane crash on June 10 that claimed the lives of Vice-President Saulos Chilima, former First Lady Madame Patricia Shanil Dzimbiri and seven others that led Malawi National Council of Sports to declare suspension of sporting activities to honour the mourning and burial of the deceased.
After the burial of late Chilima on Monday, Sports Council has since lifted the temporary suspension of sporting activities while at the same time asking all associations that as they resume their sporting endeavours, they should “continue to honour the memory and legacy of those we have lost by embodying the spirit of peace, unity and excellence in our sporting activities”.
Thus, the Super League of Malawi (SULOM) has released the fixtures for Week 10, that has the leaders, Silver Strikers — with 25 points from unbeaten run of eight wins and one draw — dating 10th-placed Tigers (11 points from 3 wins, one draw and 5 losses).
The Bankers are 7 points ahead of 2nd-placed Kamuzu Barracks who have 18 points from 5 wins, 3 draws and one loss, who will face bottom of the table Baka City (16th) away at Karonga Stadium also on Monday.
On 3rd place with 16 points of 5 wins, one draw and 3 losses are Mzuni City Hammers who are traveling to Blantyre to meet 14th-placed Bangwe All Stars at Mpira Stadium on Sunday while 4th-placed Mighty Wanderers — 15 points of 4 wins, 3 draws and 2 losses — are at home Kamuzu Stadium against 6th-placed Civil Service United.
Reigning champions, Nyasa Big Bullets — with 14 points from 3 wins, 5 draws and one loss (against the leaders in Week 9) — travel to Lilongwe to face 8th-placed debutantes, Creck Sporting at Civo Stadium on Saturday.
Other games on Sunday are Karonga United (12th) against Moyale (7th) at Karonga Stadium; MAFCO (13th) v Chitipa United (15th) at Chitowe and FOMO FC (11th) v Dedza Dynamos (9th) at Mulanje Park.
With 21 more games to play, Kamuzu Barracks’ Zeliat Nkhoma is leading the race for the Golden Boot with eight goals while Mzuzu City Hammers’ Isaac Msiska and Emmanuel Jnr Saviel of Civil Service United tie at seven apiece.

Zeliat Nkhoma
With five goals to his credit is Karonga United’s Saulos Moyo while those with four goals apiece are Silver Strikers duo of Adiel Kaduya and Binwell Katinji; Creck Sporting’s George Chiomba and Big Bullets Patrick Mwaungulu.
In the race for the Golden Glove, George Chikooka of Silver Strikers and Moyale FC’s Simeon Harawa are in the lead with five clean sheets in nine games each played so far.
Mighty Wanderers’s Richard Chipuwa has four while at three apiece are Mighty Tigers’ Lucky Tizola and Eddie Jamu of Mzuzu City Hammers.
Chokooka conceded two in the Flames’ 3-1 win over São Tomé at Bingu National Stadium and the 0-1 loss against Equatorial Guinea at Nuevo Estadio de Malabo — but he saved the team from conceding much more in Malabo.

George Chikooka
Chikooka kept them in the match and the goal he conceded was from a beautiful set piece by Coco Bassey in the 81st minute. Bassey had earlier taken another in the 66th and the shot went above the cross bar and for the next, just 15 minutes later, he played a dummy like he was shooting at goal but he just laid it perfectly in front of the packed box which was welcomed by a rushing Edu Salvador, who hit it hard beating Chikooka who had stretched as much as he could.
Chikooka’s alertness started as early as the 3rd minute when Equatorial Guinea had their first attack of the match but the Silver Strikers goalkeeper cleared it away for a corner kick.
He was called again to save the situation four minutes later with another brilliant stop after Edu Salvador attacked just outside the 18-yard box.
In the 20th, Chikooka once again had to make another save as he easily caught Mba Obiang’s shot as the hosts proved tough to be plied open as they moved in masses to attack and to defend.

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Coached by Peter Mponda, Silver Strikers are indeed team of the moment as they contributed nine players in Patrick Mabedi’s 26-man Flames squad in preparation for the two FIFA World Cup 2026™ qualifiers.
The players are goalkeeper Chikooka, Maxwell Paipi, Tatenda M’balaka, McDonald Lameck, Nickson John Mwase in defence and Chimwemwe Idana, Patrick Macheso, Uchizi Vunga and Chikondi Kamanga in midfield.
Nyasa Big Bullets, who recorded their first defeat of the season at the hands of unbeaten Silver a week before the international window, contributed five — goalkeeper Innocent Nyasulu, defender Precious Sambani and midfielders Lanjesi Nkhoma, Lloyd Aaron and Patrick Mwaungulu.
While Mighty Wanderers had defenders Stanley Sanudi, Lawrence Chaiya, midfielders Blessings Singini and Wisdom Mpinganjira while other players from the domestic league was goalkeeper Innocent Nyasulu (Nyasa Big Bullets) and striker Zeliat Nkhoma (Kamuzu Barracks).
The foreign-based legion included goalkeeper Brighton Munthali (Black Leopards, South Africa); defender Chembezi Denis (Al-Qasim SC, Iraq); midfielders John Banda (UD Songo, Mozambique), Robert Saizi (ZANACO, Zambia); and strikers Henry Mwayi Kumwenda (Butler Men’s Soccer, USA), Chawanangwa Kaonga (ZANACO), Chifundo Mphasi (Kabwe Warriors, Zambia).

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