BB, Nomads, Silver dominate league honours
According to statistics gathered by Weekend Nation, since the introduction of the Super League in 1986, the country’s three football powerhouses Big Bullets, Mighty Wanderers and Silver Strikers have won it 21 times combined with four other teams winning it five times.
Soccer pundits have attributed it to influence, huge fan base and sound financial support.
Bullets have won it a record 11 times, including the luxury of winning it seven times on the trot.
Bullets were the first to win the national league when it was introduced in 1986 and went on to win it in 1991, ‘92, ‘93, 99, 2000, ‘01, ‘02, ‘03, ‘04 and ‘05.
Silver have won it in 1995, ‘96, 2008, 2011 and 2012 while the Nomads won it five in 1990, ‘94, ‘97, ‘98 and 2006.
Escom United [now known as Kabula United] won it in 2007 and 2010 whereas Civo United, disbanded MDC United and Admarc Tigers [now called Azam Tigers] have won it once each.
Civo won it in 1987, MDC the following year under the late Henry Moyo without losing a game whereas Tigers won it in 1989.
“One common factor is that all the three teams, in particular Wanderers and Bullets enjoy a huge fan base which attracted interest of promising talent from elsewhere and over the years, they have been well supported financially,” observed Charles Nyirenda.
He said it is not a new phenomenon to have the same teams dominating the league, as the scenario is the same across the world.
Yasin Osman said of late, Bullets and Wanderers seem to have lost the magic that made them rule domestic football for over two decades.
“But they still enjoy respect. Their huge fan base is also a source of motivation for the players to play for them for pride and this has also largely contributed to their success,” said Osman who played for both teams at the peak of his career in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
On his part, Kinnah Phiri, who once played for Bullets said: “It is now that these teams are losing grip. In the good old days it used to be a privilege playing for BB and Wanderers.
“You could not just wake and think that you could play for either of the two teams as is the case now. At later stage Silver also became a force and it is, therefore, not surprising that they have won the majority of the league titles among them because they were and I still believe that somehow, they are still institutions,” said Kinnah.
