Silver Strikers registered their first victory of the 2025 TNM Super League campaign with a commanding 2-0 triumph over Kamuzu Barracks on Sunday at the Champions Stadium in Mponela.
Goals from Zebron Kalima and substitute Stain Davie proved decisive as the Bankers — who are defending their league crown — finally got off the mark after a frustrating start to the season that had seen them lose to FCB Nyasa Big Bullets and draw against Chitipa United.
The victory lifts Peter Mgangira’s side to 10th place with four points from three matches, while Kamuzu Barracks missed an opportunity to move joint-top and instead remain 6th with six points from four outings.
Silver Strikers, clearly eager to shake off their early season lethargy, came flying out of the blocks. It took just three minutes for the Bankers to find the opener. Midfield maestro Chimwemwe Idana picked out Chinsinsi Maonga on the right flank with a pinpoint pass. Maonga surged forward and delivered a teasing cross into the box, where Kalima was perfectly positioned to steer the ball past Kamuzu Barracks goalkeeper Charles Chisale.
Stunned into action, the Soldiers rallied and almost found a quick response. A well-struck free-kick from John Mchema narrowly missed George Chikooka’s goal, while at the other end, Silver continued to threaten with Binwell Katinji flashing a header just wide after meeting Kalima’s curling delivery.
Silver Strikers could have doubled their lead before the break but were denied by Chisale, who pulled off a fine save to block Chikondi Kamanga’s powerful drive from just outside the penalty area.
The Bankers held a slender 1-0 advantage at halftime, and the second half saw Kamuzu Barracks show more urgency. Olson Kanjira wasted a golden opportunity to level matters, heading wide from a delightful Hope Namadzunda cross.
Silver Strikers, however, maintained their composure and continued probing for a killer second goal. They came close again when Zebron Kalima swung in a dangerous corner that was only partially cleared, with Idana firing the loose ball over the bar.
The match was effectively sealed with just five minutes left on the clock. A lapse in communication between Kamuzu Barracks’ goalkeeper and a defender allowed substitute Stain Davie to sneak in, steal the ball, and calmly finish into an empty net to spark celebrations among the Silver faithful.
It was a much-needed morale-boosting victory for the champions, who will hope it marks the turning point in their season.
Elsewhere, at Kamuzu Stadium, Blue Eagles earned a valuable 2-1 away win over Mighty Tigers thanks to a clinical brace from Tonic Viyuyi.
Viyuyi opened the scoring on 18 minutes, but the hosts responded almost immediately through Gray Msowoya, who pounced to equalize just minutes later. However, Blue Eagles regained their lead when Viyuyi struck again on the half-hour mark with a composed finish following some lax defending from Tigers.
Despite several opportunities, neither side found the net in the second half, and Blue Eagles managed the game well to walk away with maximum points.
At Dedza Stadium, Dedza Dynamos put their previous weekend’s 2-0 loss to Mighty Tigers behind them, beating Chitipa United 2-0 in a strong home performance.
Frank Sanudi was the star of the show, netting a brace to hand Andrew Bunya’s men a deserved victory. Sanudi opened the scoring midway through the first half and added a second after the break to complete a professional performance.
The win propels Dedza Dynamos to 7th position on the table, while Chitipa United — who came into the fixture buoyed by a narrow home win over Ekhaya FC — have now slipped to 11th.
