Mafco dare Silver in PIS finals
The stage is set for Silver Strikers and Mafco to battle for the prestigious Presidential Cup in the competition’s first all-Central Region final.
The two clubs will take to the Civo Stadium pitch tomorrow in a clash so unpredictable, with both teams facing the chance to rewrite their records.
The best Silver have managed in this competition in the last four years is reaching the semi-finals while Mafco lost 1-0 to Mighty Wanderers in the 2011 finals.
Silver head into the clash as favourites. They boast of top players in the land, with half the team in the Flames.
Midfielders Frank Banda, Ndaziona Chatsalira, Peter Pindani, Young Chimodzi Jnr, goalkeeper Charles Swini and defender Lucky Malata have proved their worth in the national team.
Away from the competition, they have defended the league title for three consecutive seasons, which speaks volumes of their capabilities.
Mafco, who have shifted base from Salima to Lilongwe for this match, are not to be dismissed easily, though. They will relish the chance of being labelled underdogs ahead of their second Presidential Cup finals.
Their road to the finals was not by chance. They beat cup specialists Moyale 4-0 before dismantling Azam Tigers 3-1 in the semi-finals.
“We have been training hard this week. We want to make it a great final. They are one of the best teams, but we, too, are not push overs. We will play our game and they will have to sweat blood to beat us,” said Mafco coach Sterio Gondwe.
A big blow for Silver will be the absence of left-winger Ndaona Daisi who suffered a knee injury during a quarter-final game against Epac.
Silver say they are aware of Mafco’s threat and will not underestimate them.
“They play a fast game. They have proved to be a real threat. We need to be on top of our game. It will be tough, but I have faith in the team,” said Silver general secretary Mike Tembo.
Silver got a sigh of relief when doctors declared their first-choice goalkeeper Charles Swini fit for tomorrow’s encounter.
Swini was injured in the semi-final against Red Lions in Dedza last Saturday.n
