South Africa-based Malawian coach John Maduka started the 2025/26 Betway Premiership season with a goalless draw at his new club Magesi FC against Polokwane FC away at the weekend.
On the other hand, the start could not have been worse for his compatriot, striker Frank Gabadinho Mhango, whose new club Richards Bay lost 1-2 to his immediate former team Marumo Gallants.
Maduka was quoted by supersport.com as having said that while they would have loved to start with a win, “a draw away was not that bad.”
He said: “It’s very important for us to go all out in the first round, get the points that we need so that we’re comfortable enough for the second round and not to be under unnecessary pressure.”
The former Flames captain also said it felt good to be back on the touchline after leaving Royal AM, who were expelled from the South African flagship league for their failure to honour fixtures last season.
This was after the club was put under South African Revenue Service curatorship over a tax debt reported to be around R40-million (about K4 billion)
Said Maduka: “It’s good to be back.. that’s what we know best, to be involved in football. So, it’s good to be back and be part of the Magesi family.”
Meanwhile, Mhango’s Rochards Bay conceded late in added time to go down 1-2 to his immediate-past former team Gallants.
The Flames forward, who signed a two-year deal with Richards Bay, played for 85 minutes before he was substituted for Lindokuhle Mtshali .
