Silver Strikers will this weekend host Zambian top-flight league outfits Chipata City Council Football Club and Nkwazi FC at Silver Stadium in Lilongwe in return international friendly matches.
The Bankers’ general secretary Thabo Chakaka Nyirenda yesterday confirmed they will face Chipata on Saturday before taking on Nkwazi on Sunday. During the first legs of the matches, Silver triumphed 1-0 and drew 0-0 against the respective clubs.
According to Nyirenda, they will use the matches to prepare for the 2018 TNM Super League, raise their profile on the international arena and help their players gain international exposure.
“We need to expose our players to the international arena so that they can gain the necessary confidence before we can decide to compete at that level. As you know, Zambia is a top footballing nation in the southern Africa region and playing against their clubs will help us build a strong team ahead of the new season,” he said.
Nyirenda added that they will take on rivals Civil Sporting Club at Ansa Sports Complex in Nambuma, Lilongwe, on Monday as they continue signing new players until the transfer window closes in April.
Silver team manager Francis Songo said, as a technical panel, they are happy that their executive has arranged international matches to gauge their strength ahead of the new season.
“We are happy because these international games have helped us to know the strengths and weaknesses as we build a team for next season,” he said.
In the 2017 season, Silver finished third on the 16-team Super League log table with 61 points, eight behind eventual champions Be Forward Wanderers.
Soccer fans will pay K2 000 in the open stands and K5 000 in the VIP stands to watch the games.
