National Sports

BB top Super League first round

First-round statistics in the TNM Super League indicate that standards have stagnated in comparison to a similar stage last season and a positive is reduced cases of violence.

Some 10 of the Super League’s 15 teams wound up their first-round assignments last weekend and either Big Bullets or Moyale Barracks could finish top.

Bullets_celebrateWhatever the case, the maximum points tally would be 29 points which the current leaders Big Bullets reached after drawing 1-1 with Blue Eagles on Sunday at Kamuzu Stadium in Blantyre.

With 26 points and placed third, Moyale can displace Bullets in the unlikely event of the soldiers beating holders Silver Strikers by a three-goal margin.

The first-round picture for this season is similar to that of the previous campaign that had Kamuzu Barracks, with one loss just like Bullets this season, topping the first round on 29 points from 14 games followed by Mighty Wanderers on 27 points, like the Eagles this season.

Off the field, the instability of fixtures persists, but there are relatively fewer cases of violence and hooliganism which was so common last season when Bullets and Wanderers’ games against the Eagles ended in trouble.

Save for Blantyre United and Wanderers’ axing of coaches Mario Gadaga and Stuart Mbolembole and the departure of Mike Kumanga and Kenwood Nkhoma for military duties from Red Lions and Kamuzu Barracks respectively, most teams have kept faith in their coaches.

On individual front, there are very few hot players across the league, but the promising ones such as Deus Nkutu (Moyale), Calisto Kalinda (Mafco) and Kumbukani Mwambene on their promise for goals.

Mwambene and Nkutu lead the first-round golden boot chase on 11 goals whereas Dickson Mbetewa of the Lions and Ishmael Thindwa then at Epac topped the first round of 2013 with seven goals in 14 games. Over 253 goals have been scored so far.

Rookies Mponela United (13th place), Mzuzu United (14th place) and Evirom (then15) anchored the last three positions on the log table last season at the same stage. The new-comers also are at the bottom this season with Chikwawa United, Karonga and Blantyre United at 13th, 14th and 15th respectively.

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