In 2021, the Football Association of Malawi unveiled commercial bank, FDH as a new national cup sponsor for a knockout competition that was to be competed by both Super League and lower league division teams.
Since its introduction no team has won the cup back-to-back with inaugural champions Silver Strikers surrendering the crown to Blantyre giants FCB Nyasa Big Bullets the following year.
Heading into the final this Sunday, Bullets will be aiming to become the first team defend this prestigious domestic piece of silverware when they clash against Salima based Malawi Defense Force sponsored side MAFCO FC at the Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe who will be aiming for their first piece of silverware in as many years.
So ahead of Sundays final we take a look at some distinguish factors between this year’s competition which started on 6 May with lower league sides tussling out to that of last year.
A total of 75 teams participated in this year’s edition with 59 from lower leagues and 16 from the elite TNM Super league who joined the competition at the round of 32 stage.
GOALS GALORE
This year’s edition has seen an improvement in goals scored as compared to the 2022 edition.
A total of 83 goals have been scored so far this year from the round of 32 to the semi-final compared to last year’s 74.
Teams found the back of the net 48 and 19 times in round of 32 and 16 respectively while the quarter final produced 9 goals with the semi-final stage producing 7 goals.
This demonstrates how aggressive scorers have been in this year’s competition compared to last year where 33 goals were scored in round of 32, 22 in round of 16 and 12 as well as 7 in quarter finals and semifinals respectively.
LOWER LEAGUE SIDES TAMED
Unlike last year’s edition where lower league side FCB Nyasa Big Bullets defied all odds to reach the cup’s final, this year Super league sides have reigned supreme as from the Semi-final stage the competition has been competed by top flight sides.
Chipiku Stores Central Region Football league side Santhe Admarc were this year’s surprise packages as they managed to knock out 2 super league sides Mighty Tigers and Kamuzu Barracks but they could not reciprocate Bullets Reserve’s feat of beating 3 super league sides enroute to the final last year as the Kasungu based were miserably humbled by Mighty Mukuru Wanderers 5-0 in the quarter-final stage to mark an end to what was promising to be a sweet giant killing mission.
Last year the quarter final had 4 non super League teams against this year’s single team.
Out of those 4, 2 progressed into the semifinal with 1 going all the way to reach the final but this year there was no lower league team in the semifinals which clearly shows how they have struggled to withstand the heat.
BATTLE FOR INDIVIDUAL ACCOLADES
Reaching this stage there has been consistency in the number of goals scored in the race to the golden boot accolade. Last year at this stage FCB Nyasa Big Bullets forward Babatunde Adepoju was the runaway top goal scorer with 4 goals just like it is the case this year which has seen another Bullets forward Hassan Kajoke topping the scorers chart with the same number of goals.
Kajoke has the chance of bettering Babatunde’s record who won the accolade with 5 goals as the Bullets forward will be in action this coming Sunday when his side face MAFCO in the final at BNS.
Though the battle for the Golden Boot award looks like a one-horse race, battle for other accolades remain unpredictable as MAFCO’s Zikani Sichinga is also in contention with three goals.
The other awards Will also be unpredictable this season unlike list season where some players had unmatched records going into the final.
For instance, FCB Reserve forward Chikumbutso Salima won the player of the tournament and discovery of the tournament award last year after guiding his final but this year there seem to be no runaway contender/contenders for the award.
Salima scored 3 goals (against Tigers, Red Lions and Blue Eagles) and was key to Enos Chatama’s side journey to the final winning several Man of the Match accolades along the way.
THIS EDITION’S FINAL
What remains now is the final! FCB Nyasa Big Bullets will be aiming to become the first team to win the FDH Bank Cup back-to-back while for MAFCO they are in this to win their first piece of silverware in times in memorial.
The People’s Team started their journey with a convincing 4-0 win over Ndirande Stars in the round of 32 before thrashing Balaka FC 3-0 in the round of 16.
The defending champions went on to beat Extreme FC 5-4 on penalties before their recent win over Dedza Dynamos FC whom they massacred 5-1 in the Semi-Final to reach the final.
The Kalisto Pasuwa men will face MAFCO FC who became the first military side to reach final of the FDH Bank Cup.
Pritchard Mwansa’s troops begun their campaign with a 4-2 win over Ekwendeni Hammers in the round of 32 before progressing to the quarter finals with a penalty shout-out win over Blue Eagles in the round of 16.
The Salima based Soldiers progressed through another penalty Shoot-out victory booting out Bangwe All Stars in the quarter finals before proceeding to stun Mighty Mukuru Wanderers 1-0 in the semifinals.
POTENTIAL MATCH WINNERS
Bullets Coach Kalitso Pasuwa will turn to cup leading top scorer Hassan Kajoke to lead the attacking line alongside inform Patrick Mwaungulu,Lanjesi Nkhoma and Peter Banda.
In midfield Pasuwa will have to choose either to partner Ernest Petrol with Chawanangwa Gumbo or Frank Willard as Gumbo is fast becoming a household name when it comes to Cup games.
In defense Pasuwa has no much luxury in options especially at left back where both Precious Sambani and Alick Lungu are out injured so he might improvise by playing either Precious Phiri or sticking to the experienced Yamikani Fodya.
Gomezgani Chirwa is guaranteed a starting berth at right back but it will be in central defense where Pasuwa might have selection headache to either partner Claude Senaji with Nickson Mwase or Kesten Simbi.
The Bullets goalkeeping department has always been unpredictable but Rabson Chiyenda has kept back to back clean sheets in the domestic games he has started the latest coming in the 1-0 win over Bangwe All Stars but as usual Pauswa might rotate his goalkeeping department so either Richard Chimbamba or Clever Nkungula might start.
As for MAFCO Coach Prichard Mwanbsa has assembled a team that is capable of doing anything after a troubled start to his MAFCO Coaching career.
So, on Sunday Mwansa will surely hand Blessing Kameza the number shirt in goal and the responsibility of protecting Kameza will be handed over to Captain Paul Phiri, Dan Chimbalanga as well as Yohane Malunga.
Stain Malata, Enerst Tambe and Bernad Dilo Chimaimba will have to keep the supply lines open to provide all the necessary ammunition upfront to forwards Mphatso Filimon and Peter Kasonga.
When all is said is do0ne the stage is now set for the country to witness the crowning of the first champion of a domestic piece of silverware this season.
Will Bullets defend their crown or MAFCO will win it for the first time.
It’s all going down this Sunday at the Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe.
