Daggers drawn in Standard Bank Cup

All ingredients for exciting football have been thrown in the K25 million (about $65 000) Standard Bank Knockout Cup as Carlsberg Cup champions Kamuzu Barracks face Presidential Cup winners Mafco before Epac United take on Moyale Barracks in preliminary encounters on Wednesday.

The two encounters will determine the two teams that will move forward and join the top-six teams in the quarter-finals.

The KB versus Mafco match is slated for either Civo Stadium or Nankhaka Ground in the capital whereas Moyale will host Epac at Mzuzu Stadium.

Just last week, KB suffered a 4-2 defeat to Mafco in the TNM Super League and the team’s general secretary Dickson Ntontholo feels their imminent clash will provide a platform for revenge.

On the other hand, Moyale are keen to avenge their 1-0 loss to Epac in the league last May.

However, the biggest surprise of the three draws conducted at Sunbird Mount Soche last Friday evening is that defending champions Mighty Wanderers will start their title defence against Red Lions in the quarter-finals.

This will be the third time in various cup competitions this year that the two teams, which have been seeded for the quarter-finals alongside Silver Strikers, Big Bullets, Civo United and Blantyre United, will be meeting in crucial encounters.

Wanderers suffered a 1-2 defeat to the Lions in the Carlsberg Cup round of 16 before being beaten 4-2 on post-match penalties in the Presidential Cup quarter-finals.

Despite that, Wanderers’ outspoken general secretary David Kanyenda, amid mwatola jokala chants from their rival camps after the quarter-final draw conducted by soccer legends Enerst Mtawali and Jack Chamangwana, said they believe this would be their opportunity to deal with the Zomba-based soldiers.

“We are grateful for this draw. Remember, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day. Let us also put it that we cannot afford to lose for the third time this year to Red Lions,” challenged Kanyenda.

In other quarter-final draws, Big Bullets, who are searching for their first glory in the annual contest Standard Bank has been sponsoring for the past six years, have been pitted against Civo United while Silver Strikers will tussle against Blantyre United.

The teams that will win during the two preliminary matches on Wednesday will face off in the quarter-finals. This means the winner between KB and Mafco will be up against the victor between Moyale and Epac.

After explaining how their customers voted in their 26 branches countrywide to come up with the four teams that will tussle in the preliminary stage, Standard Bank’s head of marketing Chimwemwe Matonga reiterated the bank’s call for a violent-free tournament.

“Losers should accept defeat with humility. Winners should celebrate responsibly. We need violence-free games at all venues; any pocket of violence that will emerge will make us think of pulling out the sponsorship,” he warned.

FAM competitions officer Gomezgani Zakazaka said they have launched the ‘Respect in Standard Bank Cup’ campaign as one way of ensuring there is no hooliganism and violence at all matches.

“The campaign aims at creating a safe and enjoyable environment for our games. We all need to change our behaviour if we are to reclaim sponsorship next year.

“Sometimes it is the behaviour of the players prior to the games that creates unnecessary tension at match venues. As faces of the teams, administrators with sharp tongues also spoil our beautiful sport as whatever they say is seriously believed by the fans. So, let us all respect one another,” said Zakazaka.