As campaign for TNM Super League title mounts, Lilongwe and Blantyre have mouthwatering fixtures today and tomorrow.
At Kamuzu Stadium today, Big Bullets face team of the moment Kamuzu Barracks (KB) in an encounter likely to be tense because of feared bad blood flowing between civilian and Army teams.
In Lilongwe, Silver Strikers host Moyale Barracks in another potential thriller as the two teams renew the rivalry that characterised their cup games.
In other fixtures today, Mponela United face Epac at Civo Stadium.
In Blantyre, KB will be without matchmaker Harvey Mkacha and defender Mustafa Salimu who have been blacklisted by the Super League of Malawi (Sulom) for KB’s failure to pay K700 000 (about $1 750) outstanding transfer balance to Silver Strikers.
But KB coach Billy Phambala said his strategy to down Bullets will not be affected by the absence of the two players.
“I have many options in the squad. In fact, it is possible for me to change the whole team and still win. We are going to Blantyre to collect six points and we will do that,” said Phambala.
However, KB team manager Francis Shaba insists Salimu will play.
“Harvey will not feature because he is sick, but we are definitely going to use Salimu,” said Shaba.
Bullets coach Eddingtone Ng’onamo could not commit himself to predicting the match.
“We know that anything can happen in football, but we have the advantage of playing at home. We know they are in form and they have good players, but we are not under pressure,” said Ng’onamo.
In Area 47, Stain Chirwa will want to maintain the home record that has seen Silver win all their recent games against Moyale and Red Lions under his stewardship.
“It is important that we win all our home games. If we maintain such clean sheets at home, it will be easy for us to defend the league,” said Chirwa.
With Green Harawa, Ndaziona Chatsalira and Frank Banda in form, Moyale should be wary.
With coach Nicholas Mhango at the helm, Moyale have been constant in their success and are always the most formidable among Army teams.
On the log table, Silver are fifth whereas Moyale are sixth, with two points separating them.
Tomorrow, Wanderers face Mafco in Balaka in what surely is likely to be a crowd-puller. Mafco are in buoyant mood after an emphatic 4-2 win over league leaders KB last week in Dedza. The other thriller tomorrow is between Civo and Blue Eagles in Mzuzu.
