* He has a total of 17 goals — five away from contenders George Chaomba of Creck Sporting Club and Kamuzu Barracks’ Zeliat Nkhoma (both 12)
* With 18 clean sheets, Chikooka, is ahead of Mighty Tigers’ Lucky Tizola (13); Karonga United’s Maclean Mwale (11) and Dedza Dynamos’ Donnex Mwakasinga (10)
By Duncan Mlanjira
Mighty Wanderers’ attacking midfielder Isaac Kaliati scored yesterday in the Nomads 2-1 win over Moyale at Mzuzu Stadium to take his TNM Super League 2024 tally of goals to 17 — five away from contender, George Chaomba of Creck Sporting Club and Kamuzu Barracks’ Zeliat Nkhoma (both 12) for the Nomad to win the Golden Boot.
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At 11 goals apiece are Blessings Mwalilino (Karonga United) and Ramadhan Ntafu (Karonga United) while Nyasa Big Bullets’ Babatunde Adepoju and Mzuzu City Hammers’ Isaac Msiska share 10 goals each.
With 18 clean sheets, Silver Strikers’ goalkeeper George Chikooka, who conceded two goals in the Bankers 5-2 victory over Dedza Dynamos, has taken the Golden Glove ahead of Mighty Tigers’ Lucky Tizola (13); Karonga United’s Maclean Mwale (11) and Dedza Dynamos’ Donnex Mwakasinga (10).
Chikooka is a revelation player of the season, who was roped in from Chitipa United at the beginning of the season and his exceptional performance merited him into the national team in both the FIFA World Cup 2026™ and Africa Cup of Nations (AfCON) 2025 qualifiers.
In the TNM Super League 2024, he has earned himself a number of Player of the Match awards and his clean sheets helped Silver Strikers to clinch the title for the first time since 2023, in which they only lost one match in 30 games after they were beaten 1-0 by Mulanje-based FOMO FC last Wednesday at Mulanje Park.
The Bankers won 19 games, drew 10 ending the season as the top scoring team at 58 in which they conceded 17 while runners-up Mighty Wanderers follow behind with 57 goals scored and 19 conceded from their 17 wins, 7 draws and 6 losses.
He didn’t play in the 0-1 loss to FOMO FC as coach Peter Mponda trusted the hands of Charles Thom, who conceded the goal in the 84th minute.
Third-placed Nyasa Big Bullets, who are last season’s champions, which was their 5th in five consecutive year, won 14 matches, drew 13 and lost 3 in which they scored 42 and conceded 20.
The 1-0 win over the champions last Wednesday, breathed a new life for FOMO to avoid relegation was they needed to beat Karonga United in the last game.
Ahead of the match yesterday, FOMO were on the safe 13th place with 28 points but they drew 0-0 at home, Mulanje Park to end with 29 points while Chitipa United beat the already relegated Baka City 3-1 to accumulate maximum 29 points.
The tie was separated by goal difference as Chitipa United scored 35 and conceded 43 making a difference of -11 while FOMO scored 20 and conceded 38 — a difference of -18.
Also relegated are Bangwe All Stars who had 27 points ahead of their last match against Creck Sporting Club, which if they had won would have kept them in the top flight league but they lost 1-4.
For the next season, the Southern Region will have two teams less after the exit of FOMO and Bangwe All Stars leaving the stage for three representatives to contest for the TNM Super League 2025 title — Mighty Wanderers, Nyasa Big Bullets and Mighty Tigers.
The 2025 season will be dominated by Central Region with six teams; Silver Strikers, Civil Service United, Creck Sporting (in their second season in the top flight), MAFCO, Kamuzu Barracks and Dedza Dynamos.
The North will be represented by three teams Mzuzu City Hammers, Karonga United and Chitipa United.
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Teams to contest for the Airtel Top 8 2025 are the champions Silver Strikers, runners-up Mighty Wanderers, 2024 champions Nyasa Big Bullets (3rd place), Mzuzu City Hammers (4), Civil Service United (5), Creck Sporting (6), Karonga United (7) and Moyale (8).
Moyale tied on 39 points with MAFCO but were separated by goal difference as Moyale scored 30 and conceded 27, a goal difference of 3 while MAFCO also scored 30 but conceded 39 (-9).
Winning the TNM Super League is a huge relief on the part of Silver Strikers, who missed out on three lucrative cup competitions; the FDH Bank Cup — in which they were booted out by two second tier Chipiku Central Region League sides, Blue Eagles and little known Panthers FC as well as losing in the final of the Airtel Top 8 2024 to defending champions, Nyasa Big Bullets.
Since 1986, Bankers have won the Super League nine times: 1993; 1994; 1995/1996; 2008; 2009/2010; 2011/2012; 2012/2013; 2013/2014 and 2024.
The highest winners since 1986 are Nyasa Big Bullets: 1986; 1991; 1992; before 7 consecutive wins in 1998/1999; 1999/2000; 2000/2001; 2001/2002; 2002/2003; 2004; 2005/2006.
They then had a break and clinched it 2014 defended it in 2015 and after a two-year break, they won it for another five consecutive seasons (2018, 2019, 2020/2021, 2022 and 2023.
Mighty Wanderers have won it six times (1990; 1995; 1996/1997; 1997/1998; 2006 and 2017) while other champions are Civo United (1987); defunct MDC United (1988); Tigers FC (1989) and also defuncted ESCOM United (2007 & 2010/2011).
ESCOM United holds the record of being unbeaten in a season that was set in 2009/10 (W15, D13, L0) but surprisingly, they finished that season in second place while at W18, D10, L0 before the 0-1 loss against FOMO last Wednesday, Silver Strikers had won the title with two games in hand.
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