Battlelines drawn in FDH Bank Cup
The FDH Bank Cup quarter-finals draw has produced some mouth-watering fixtures after pitting most TNM Super League sides against each other while lower-league sides will also clash.
The draw, held yesterday at Mpira Village in Chiwembe, Blantyre, produced a thriller between Blantyre-based giants Mighty Mukuru Wanderers and Lilongwe giants Kamuzu Barracks (KB).
Wanderers booted out Dedza Dynamos Salima Sugar while KB knocked out Lilongwe giants Civil Service United.
The Nomads will be at home, Kamuzu Stadium, in this mouth-watering fixture.
Interestingly, the last time the two sides met in the TNM Super League at Kamuzu Stadium in April, the match ended in a 2-1 in favour of the Malawi Defence Force-sponsored outfit.
The quarter-finals will be played next weekend.
KB coach Christopher Kamanga said they are ready to repeat the feat against the Nomads.
He said: “To be the best, you need to beat the best. So, we are happy with the draw. We need to go past good teams like Mighty Wanderers to win the FDH Bank Cup.”
But since April when KB stunned Wanderers 2-1, the Nomads have undergone transformation.
They are now under coach Alex Ngwira who started his job with a 3-0 victory over Dedza Dynamos in the round of 16.
Ngwira said they will take each game as it comes as the Nomads aim at turning their season around.
In the other quarter-final, Nyasa Big Bullets will face Simso Northern Region Football League side Chitipa United, who were relegated to the lower league last season.
Another interesting fixture will see Nyasa Big Bullets Reserves hosting TNM Super League side Blue Eagles.
Bullets Reserves have gained a reputation for being giant slayers after knocking out TNM Super League sides Mighty Wakawaka Tigers and Red Lions in round of 32 and 16, respectively.
They now come up against the Malawi Police Service side which is second to their senior side in the TNM Super League.
Bullets Reserves coach Enos Chatama welcomed the draw, but said there are no minnows at this stage of the competition.
He said: “Tough opponents in today’s draw. No breathing space as there are no minnows in the draw, Bullets Reserves are the only rank outsiders.”
At least one regional league side will make it to the semi-finals after the draw paired Changalume Barracks and Extreme.
Although Bullets and Wanderers have avoided each other in the quarter-finals, there is a possibly that they might cross paths in the semi-finals.
The winner between Chitipa United and Bullets will face the winner between Wanderers and KB while the winner between Bullets Reserves and Eagles will play the winner between Changalume and Extreme FC.
