Silver Strikers Ladies are the inaugural champions of the National Bank of Malawi (NBM) plcWomen’s Premiership with three games to spare following a 4-0 thrashing of Blantyre-based Kukoma Ntopwa Women at Silver Stadium in Lilongwe on Sunday.
The Lilongwe-based Reserve Bank of Malawi-sponsored side tops the 10-team log-table with an insurmountable 42 points, 10 above second-placed Ascent Academy of Lilongwe and 14 ahead of third-positioned FCB Nyasa Bullets Women of Blantyre.
To put an icing on the cake, Silver Ladies’ forward Deborah Henry leads the scorers’ chart with 22 goals and is within touching distance of the golden boot as she has scored 13 goals more than her closest contender Tawina Kawaga of Blantyre-based Mighty Wanderers Queens.
So far, the Bankers have registered 14 wins and a loss.
Silver Ladies coach Andrew ‘Aluki’ Chikhosi attributed their success to determination and team work.
“This success stemmed from the project we started even before the national league was introduced last season,” he said.
Said Chikhosi: “We set ourselves a target of not only becoming the inaugural champions but doing it emphatically to justify our intentions of competing in international club tournaments such as Cosafa/CAF Champions League.
“We are happy with our overall performance and we are good to go.”
On Sunday, Silver Ladies put up a dominant first-half performance that saw them scoring three goals within the first 13 minutes.
They forced an own goal by Ntopwa goalkeeper Mercy Sikelo in the fifth minute before Yamikani Mhango and Ennie Botha added two more in the 11th and 13th minutes, respectively.
In an interview yesterday, Henry said she is eager to extend her tally in their remaining three games.
“I am happy to have successfully helped my team win the league. Now, my target is to win the Golden Boot by as many goals as possible. I want to make history,” sh said.
Meanwhile, after the match, RBM executive director Mercy Kumbatira hosted the team to a cocktail where she congratulated them for the feat.
Silver Strikers Company Limited board of directors, led by chairperson George Kaudza Masina, also attended the event.
In other matches on Sunday, Ascent thrashed already relegated MK Academy of Mzuzu 3-0 while Blantyre-based Bullets Women survived a scare as they narrowly beat anchors Topik of Mzuzu 2-1 at Luwinga ground in Mzuzu to cement third place with.
MDF Lioness of Lilongwe thrashed relegated hosts Moyale Sisters 4-0 in Mzuu to remain fourth with 25 points, a point ahead of fifth-placed Ntopwa Women whereas Wanderers Queens are sixth with 23 points following a 2-0 home win over Civil Service Women.
