|
Capital City Lilongwe will come to a virtual standstill Saturday afternoon when Silver Strikers host defending Super League champions Bakili Bullets at their Area 47 arena in a game expected to be so passionate.
It will also be a grudge match, coming at a time when the Bullets still have hard feelings on the bankers for wooing their three former key players namely left back Maupo Msowoya whose deal hangs in limbo, brawny winger Emmanuel ‘Eke’ Chipatala and striker Dick Malidadi.
The Bullets, who have enjoyed complete freedom on the domestic scene, winning the flagship league title for a record seven successive times, are on fourth position with 16 points from seven games having won five, drawn once and lost once as well.
They have yet another strenuous fixture against the cops—Blue Eagles Sunday and if they bag full points then they will catch up with their sworn adversaries MTL Wanderers who currently stand proudly at the pinnacle of the league with 23 points from 10 games.
The nomads are on bye this weekend and obviously they will be keeping their fingers crossed that their rivals should see red in the Capital—a tall order considering the Bullets’ dramatic revival after their shock 1-0 loss at the hands of rookies Cobbe Barracks.
The bankers on the other hand are appreciative of the fact that if they are put in the shade this afternoon, their off-season expensive shopping spree that saw them net two if not three star players from Bullets, will be turned to dust.
Their coach Alex Masanjala and general secretary Ganizani Masiye admitted that the pressure will be on them.
Masanjala said: “Definitely the pressure is on us. There is no doubt that Bullets are a good team and this is a game that we will be put to test. Having netted some of their key players, they will definitely come flat out.
“And again if they beat us they will leap-frog us on the log table but we have planned for them and we are looking forward to nothing short of a win,” said Masanjala whose side is on second position with 17 points from nine games—just a point ahead of the Bullets.
Masiye chipped in: “We are aware that it will be a tense game especially considering that we raided their camp and bagged two key players. They will be out to prove that even if we managed to woo some of their key players, they are superior.”
Except for Chipatala, there has not been much exploits from the bankers expensive armoury which also includes Malidadi, last season’s top netbuster Rodrick Douglas, Gift Makoloni, Bright Nyirongo and Joseph ‘Dudu’ Kachule but all the same it will be a contest of rare splendour.
On the other hand, the Bullets who are still bubbling from their 6-0 demolition of Mafco and another 2-0 victory over Civo, are eager to make sure the bankers should pay back for their sins.
Their general secretary Willie Phalula said: “When they got our three players, we didn’t take it as a sign of rivalry because players are bound to leave at some point but we will prove to them that we are plastered with talent.
“We have learnt that they are making a lot of noise but we will put them in their right place tomorrow and our fans should not lose their sleep, we will come back from Lilongwe unscathed. We are not going there to donate points.”
The people’s team will be welcoming back their militant winger Fischer ‘Anong’a’ Kondowe whose suspension was lifted on Thursday night ahead of this crucial battle.
In Kondowe, Rahim Ishmail, new-signing Amos Jere, James Chilapondwa, Grant Lungu and Ganizani Malunga, the Bullets have immense talent but there is a wonder kid on the throne—Jimmy Zakazaka.
He banged in six of Bullets’ eight goals last weekend and his former club should be on the lookout this afternoon. He is currently the second top scorer of the league with nine goals just one short of nomads’ revived striker Aggrey Kanyenda.
|
