Four days after helping restore Malawi’s pride in the ill-fated 2025 AFCON qualifying campaign, interim Flames coach Kalisto Pasuwa and his national team deputy Peter Mponda renewed their club rivalry in a 0-0 draw on Saturday, November 23, 2024.
Pasuwa travelled 400 kilometres from Blantyre to the Malawi capital Lilongwe hoping to hand Mponda and his TNM Super League leaders, Silver Strikers, their first league defeat at Silver Stadium.
However, after 90 minutes of matching on tactics and missing clear-cut chances, the two titans of Malawi domestic football settled for a goalless draw which must have felt like a win for Silver.
The Reserve Bank of Malawi-sponsored Silver went into the match at Silver Stadium buoyed by a 6-1 annihilation of Mafco FC and 25 games unbeaten.
However, the Bankers decision to play defensive and only counterattack plus striker Stain Davie and substitute Binwell Katinji’s poor finishing could only earn them a point.
On the other end, Pasuwa should have a lengthy talk with strikers Babatunde Adepoju, Maxwell Gasten and midfielder Yankho Singo on how they connived to sky their numerous efforts with the hosts goalkeeper George Chikooka to beat.
Chikooka did make unbelievable saves to deny the Nigerian Adepoju and Gasten in the first-half while on the other end, Davie, starting ahead of Katinji, could not just direct his wayward and hurried headers on target.
Mponda, too, should be regretting the decision to take off play maker Chimwemwe Idana after break for defensive Levison Maganizo who slowed down the hosts attacking tempo.
In the end, Pasuwa, whose hope of defending the league title for five consecutive seasons is over, must have returned to Blantyre feeling his charges should have done better whereas Mponda must feel relieved.
Silver have a five-point lead over second-placed Mighty Mukuru Wanderers whereas Bullets sit third 13 points off the pace, all teams have three games to wind up the race in the 16-member Super League. Silver are eight-time Super League winners whereas Bullets boast of 16 titles.
Video: Silver Strikers 0-0 Nyasa Big Bullets extended highlights
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