* The Bankers meet MAFCO FC tomorrow at Civo Stadium, followed by Nyasa Big Bullets on Saturday, November 23 and against relegated Baka City on Wednesday, November 27
* Wanderers are playing 13th-placed Bangwe All Stars tomorrow at Kamuzu Stadium, a game that means a lot to both
* As the Nomads need it for the the probable title shot, while Bangwe All Stars is to keep stretching away from the red relegation zone by two sides, Chitipa United and FOMO FC
By Duncan Mlanjira
Having been on national duty in the interim coaching panel of Malawi Flames, Silver Strikers’ coach Peter Mponda now shifts his attention on club commitment to safeguard leadership of TNM Super League 2024 — starting tomorrow against MAFCO FC at Civo Stadium.
Silver Strikers lead the log table with 54 points from 24 games played and if they win all, they will amass 72 points, while runners-up are Mighty Wanderers with 50 points from 25 — set to garner maximum 65 if they win all remaining six.
Thus they will be praying that Silver would be dropping points along their six-game path starting tomorrow against MAFCO followed by Nyasa Big Bullets on Saturday, November 23 and against relegated Baka City on Wednesday, November 27, both at their home turf, Silver Stadium.
Wanderers are playing 13th-placed Bangwe All Stars tomorrow at Kamuzu Stadium, a game that means a lot to both as the Nomads need it for the the probable title shot, while Bangwe All Stars is to keep stretching away from the red relegation zone by two sides, Chitipa United and FOMO FC.
Bangwe All Stars are 13th with 27 points, remaining with 3 games to wrap up the 2024 campaign, which if they manage to win all, they will amass maximum 33 points while maximum for 14th-placed Karonga United (23 points) is 32, also remaining with three games.
FOMO FC have 22 points from 26, remaining with four, which if they win all, they will amass 34 — thus pushing Bangwe All Stars to relegation.
FOMO are up against tough fellow debutantes, Creck Sporting Club tomorrow at their home turf, Mulanje Park while Chitipa United meet 12th-place Mighty Tigers on Saturday.
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Creck Sporting drew 1-1 with Chitipa United on Sunday to get back to 6th place they were pushed out from when MAFCO beat fellow military side, Kamuzu Barracks 2-1.
Goals from Harvey Nasiyaya (29′) and Jack Beza (50′) earned them the 6th spot, also pushing out MAFCO to 8th but sharing on 38 points along with 7th-placed Karonga United, who drew 0-0 with Dedza Dynamos also on Sunday.
The result puts 11th-placed Dedza Dynamos in contention for the qualification of the Airtel Top 8 2025, which currently has leaders Silver Strikers (at 54); 2nd-placed Mighty Wanderers (at 50); Nyasa Big Bullets (3rd/44); Mzuzu City Hammers (4th/44); Civil Service United (5th/39); Creck Sporting (6th/39); Karonga United (7th/38); MAFCO (8th/39); Kamuzu Barracks (9th/37) and Moyale (10th/36); and Dedza Dynamos (11th/34).
Meanwhile, the game between Silver Strikers and Nyasa Big Bullets will be an interesting one as coaches for both sides, Mponda and his counterpart, Kalisto Pasuwa were together on national duty as interim coaches following the dismissal of Patrick Mabedi after the Flames’ poor performance in the Africa Cup of Nations (AfCON) Morocco 2025 qualifiers.
Men in charge, Pasuwa and Mponda
Mabedi was fired following four consecutive losses in the qualifiers that saw them out of contention for the Morocco finals in which they suffered 2-3 loss to Burundi, 1-3 to Burkina Faso and back-to-back 0-4 and 0-1 against Senegal — conceding 11 goals while only scoring 3.
In just the two remaining ceremonial matches in five days, the Flames — under Pasuwa and Mponda as 1st assistant and Pritchard Mwansa as the 2nd, the team managed 3 goals from the 0-0 draw with Burundi on Thursday and 3-0 win over Burkina Faso yesterday, while keeping a clean slate.
Mabedi’s record in AfCON 2025
Rejected by fired Mabedi, South Africa-based Gabadinho Mhango proved it’s not his age or lack of form that the former mentor didn’t want him in his plans, but something else — when he scored the first goal yesterday in the 26th minute and complemented by Richard Mbulu (57’) and Lloyd Aaron (61’).
So, all eyes will be on the two mentors as Mponda will be aiming to safeguard his team’s lead in the title fight by earning full points, while the same full points need to keep Pasuwa side at the respectable 3rd place as it is also being chased for by 4th-placed Mzuzu City Hammers.
The two share 44 points but the TNM Super League defending champions have three games in hand as they have played 28 while the Hammers have completed 28, remaining with just two games.
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