Silver Strikers Youth champs of 2022 First Capital Bank Katswiri U-20 League title

* The League has produced national team players such as Peter Banda, Charles Petro, Francisco Madinga, Lawrence Chaziya, Gerald Phiri Jnr

* The last four finalists were Chinamwali FC from Zomba; Silver Strikers Youth from Lilongwe; Chigwere 11 FC from Kasungu and MK Academy from Mzuzu

By Duncan Mlanjira

Silver Strikers Youth were on Saturday December 3 crowned champions of the 2022 First Capital Bank Katswiri Under-20 League after beating Chigwere 2-0 in the final of the knockout stages.

Played at Kasungu Stadium, the grey clouds at kick off soon eased up to pave way for the grand finale as Silver Youth’s Adiero Kaduya scored a brace in the first half of the match and was voted Man of the Match after his impressive performance.

He is certainly one young player whose future in football is bright as he and his team-mates went away with the grand prize of K1.5 million while the Chigwere Football Club were awarded K1 million for their efforts.

First Capital Bank Head of Marketing, Twikale Chirwa said the bank is pleased with the execution by the National Youth Football Association of the 2022 U-20 Katswiri League and as such, the bank will continue with its sponsorship into the next season.

National Youth Football Association chairperson, Tiyenkhu Chavula said the association is grateful to First Capital Bank for its interest in the league, and they are pleased that the league is able to produce national team players who are gaining international attention.

 

“This league has added a lot of value to the Malawian Football,” he said. “It has contributed a lot of players to the TNM Super League teams such as Patrick Mwaungulu from BiCCO Opticals, Stanley Billiat from Disciples FC and Gomezgani Chirwa.

“A number of players in the national team that played at the Africa Cup of Nations are products of FCB U-20 Katswiri such as Peter Banda, Charles Petro, Francisco Madinga, Lawrence Chaziya, Gerald ‘Papa’ Phiri Jnr — all are products of FCB U-20 Katswiri League.

“Thus we at National Youth Football Association applaud First Capital Bank for its continued sponsorship of youth football, which is helping to unearth raw talent.”

The chairperson added that the FCB U-20 Katswiri League, which First Capital Bank has been has been supporting in 13 years of continuous sponsorship since 2009, has been played for seven months — from June to December.

Its total sponsorship package is K40 million per year and for this season it attracted 182 teams from 14 districts of Malawi — Mulanje, Blantyre, Zomba and Mangochi in the Southern Region; Dedza, Lilongwe, Salima, Nkhotakota, Kasungu and Mchinji in the Central Region and Nkhata Bay, Mzuzu, Rumphi and Karonga in the Northern Region.

The format at district level is played on a league basis, whose winners qualify for regional play-offs to identify the representative at national level — played on knockout basis.

“The teams that qualify for finals are representatives from each region and the host district team,” Chavula said. “So 4 teams make it to the national finals.

The teams that reached last four were Chinamwali FC from Zomba; Silver Strikers Youth from Lilongwe; Chigwere 11 FC from Kasungu and MK Academy from Mzuzu.