It will be a battle of egos when familiar foes Silver Strikers and FCB Nyasa Bullets tussle for the Airtel Top 8 bragging rights this afternoon at Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe, as they aim at a record third title.
Also at stake in the final call of the seventh Zamadolo edition is a cool K30 million winner’s purse, up from K17 million last year.
Both teams, who have won the trophy twice, were an oasis of calm as they went through their final paces at the match venue yesterday.
A joke here, a chuckle there and some lighter moments characterised the sessions as they aimed to calm the nerves in the countdown to the big one.
it out in the 2021 final
In a pre-match interview yesterday, the Bankers’ coach Peter ‘Mjojo’ Mponda said they are ready for the showdown.
Sounding ice-cool and with a boyish grin, the former Bullets assistant coach said: “I believe we have a good plan for them. We are ready and we can’t wait.
“They are the holders, it won’t be easy, but we know what to expect. We’ll go there, play our game and enjoy the atmosphere.”
The Reserve Bank of Malawi-sponsored outfit is coming from a shock 3-4 penalty shootout defeat to second-tier side Panthers FC in the Castel Challenge Cup, but Mponda played it down, saying: “That is gone, we have picked ourselves up and it is now about the battle at hand.”
The Area 47-based side goes into this battle without defender Nickson Mwase, who is serving a red card suspension and injured midfielder Duncan Nyoni, but Mponda has enough armoury and isn’t losing his sleep.
“They are key players, no doubt about that, but we are well covered,” he said.
George Chikooka provides a safe pair of hands between the sticks while McDonald Lameck. Innocent Shema and Maxwell Paipi are tipped to marshal the defence. Chimwemwe Idana and Zebron Kalima will keep the engines running and the supply lines open for the likes of Binwell Katinji, Uchizi Vunga and Chinsisi Maonga upfront.
On his part, Bullets gaffer Kallisto Pasuwa reiterated that the fixture congestion continues to take a toll on his side.
At a pre-match press conference on Thursday, the Zimbabwean tactician said: “We played a match yesterday [Wednesday] and today [Thursday] is about recovery before travelling to Lilongwe.
“It means we have to find a way of working on tactics and increasing the intensity on Friday.
“Silver have been doing well and we’ll go there with a right attitude to get a positive result.”
Last year, the People’s Team rode on winger Lanjesi Nkhoma’s back to success, scoring a brace in the final against Mafco FC which ended 3-1, enroute to winning both the golden boot and Player of the Tournament, but he has now started a new lease of life at Democratic Republic of Congo side SC Don Bosco.
Striker Maxwell Gasten Phodo is the only major doubt for the fixture, but Bullets can still look up to Chikumbutso Salima, Babatunde Adepoju and Ronald ‘Rooney’ Chitiyo upfront with Chawanangwa Gumbo, Yankho Singo and Lloyd Aaron orchestrating play from midfield.
Bullets have lost on both occasions that the finals were played at Bingu National Stadium. They lost to Blue Eagles 1-0 in 2018 and Mighty Mukuru Wanderers 5-3 on post-match penalties in 2022 and they will be out to break that jinx.
Mponda was then Pasuwa’s assistant at Bullets. and this afternoon they will be up against each other.
