Silver Strikers Head Coach, Peter Mponda has high hopes that his team will kick-start their 2024 campaign with a positive outing as they welcome Chitipa United at home on Saturday.
The Central Bankers have high prolepsis ahead of the new season after having a forbearance dry TNM Super League trophy spell for a decade. Their Glory days can be ferreted out back to 2013 when they were enthroned as the Champions of the league.
Frank Banda’s strike against Kamuzu Barracks in February at Civo Stadium was enough to hand the Bankers their last league championship with a game to go as they outsmarted their title challengers, Big Bullets on goal difference.
Mponda, who spent the last four years as the Assistant Coach to Kalisto Pasuwa replaced the fired Pieter De Jongh, and he is expected to guide the team to a Cup and a league in his first year.
Facing last season’s most-improved team in the league, Mponda said he has high hopes that the team can chalk points from their opening fixture.
“We are ready for this game and ready for the season, we know we are playing against a very good team that played well last season by finishing fourth on the standings,” he told the Club’s Media.
Off the back of an agonizing 7-6 penalty defeat to FCB Nyasa Big Bullets in the NBS Bank Charity Shield Cup, Silver will be looking to bounce back from a setback. Despite a defeat, Mponda’s men matched Bullets’ intensity pound-to-pound as the Coach admitted in his post-match interviews.
He said the performance of the boys was impressive and they want to build from that performance m
Said Mponda, “It was a very good game and the boys gave a good performance which is very encouraging. To our assessment as a technical panel we are impressed with what they have shown us after this game I think we are ready.”
Silver are unbeaten in regulation time under Peter Mponda, they have won four games and drawn twice against Civil Service United and FCB Nyasa Big Bullets.
Chikooka faces his old family
Towering goalkeeper, George Chikooka is expected to start in goals for Silver Strikers on Saturday against his old family at Silver Stadium.
His glittering performance against FCB Nyasa Big Bullets six days ago could guarantee him the start in the opening game for the Bankers who look to climb the ladders with a promising start.
Chikooka was one of the best shot-stoppers in the 2023 season, keeping 12 cleansheets, just one behind the winners, Innocent Nyasulu and William Thole.
Chikooka was being chased by Kamuzu Barracks, Mighty Mukuru Wanderers among other top teams before joining the Area 47-based side.
“There have been many inquiries from top teams, but I decided to stay at Chitipa United but I remained focused on Chitipa United and helped my team,” he said in his interview with Times Sport.
Chikooka who had a special relationship with Chitipa will this Saturday be in action against his former team for the first time.
Chitipa to embrace Mtetemera’s departure
Chitipa United in their maiden season in the elite league managed to finish in the top four and they are going to compete in the Top 8 Cup Football, if it is on as Airtel Malawi are yet to come out and explain their commitment.
The Inkhalamu Zga ku Chitipa were not active on the market with only a contract extension announced when Rajab Nyirenda signed a new two-year contract.
Chitipa claimed nine points against the traditional big three, beating Mighty Mukuru Wanderers and FCB Nyasa Big Bullets in the first round before playing draw games in the second round. They held Silver Strikers at Civo Stadium last season.
“Chitipa United are a good team, they finished fourth last season. We played a draw game against them last season and now we have to be ready for the game,” admitted Mponda.
However, the master behind Chitipa’s appetizing run, Macdonald Nginde Mtetemera dumped the Club to join the newly promoted team, CRECK Sporting Club, and Chitipa will have to embrace his absence.
To replace Mtetemera, the Club roped in Mcnebert Kazuwa to head the team till the end of this year’s season and he will be assisted by Elvis Kafoteka and Gift Mkamanga.
The Technical Panel failed to stamp their authority during the Super 5 Bonanza played in Karonga when the team finished at the very foot of the table with two points after losing two games and drawing two.
