Bullets, Silver tussle for Charity Shield
Nyasa Big Bullets and Silver Strikers have said this afternoon’s 2022 NBS Bank plc-sponsored Charity Shield provides them a real test of their preparedness ahead of the season.
The two giants, who shone brightly last season, clash in the season curtain-raiser at Kamuzu Stadium in Blantyre.
Despite parting ways with a number of players, both teams have been relatively quiet on the transfer market so far.
The People’s Team released 11 seasoned players, while the other, defender Miracle Gabeya, joined arch-rivals Mighty Wanderers after failing to agree on contractual terms.
The only notable new faces in Bullets camp are defender Hadji Wali, formerly of Silver and ex-Ntopwa FC midfielder Mphatso Magaleta. They have also promoted four players from their reserve side.
On the other hand, the Reserve Bank of Malawi-sponsored outfit has released five players and have so far only ropped in former Chitipa United star Hardy Ng’andu and Duncan Nyoni, who returned to Area 47 after a stint with Tanzanian club Simba SC.
Bullets assistant coach Peter ‘Mjojo’ Mponda said in a pre-match interview on Friday they are taking the match seriously.
He said: “This is no friendly, it’s a competitive match and we are treating it as such. We’ll not do things in half measures, we’ll go flat out.
“It provides us a chance to see where we stand ahead of the TNM Super League kick-off.”
He also played down their 1-2 loss to newly-promoted side Sable Farming on Thursday, saying it was meant to get a glimpse of their new players.
Said Mponda: “This was our first friendly match in preparation for the new season and we were not looking at the result, but rather assess the new players.”
On his part, Silver assistant coach McDonald Yobe also said they will be out to get a good result.
He said: “It will be our first competitive match of the season and we want to start with a win.It will also give us a chance to try a number of combinations ahead of the league kick off.”
Unlike Bullets, Silver have played a number of pre-season strength-testing matches notably against TN Stars and, more recently Mighty Tigers.
Against the Kasungu-based side, the Central Bankers won the first match 2-0 and the second 5-0 while against the Kau-Kau Boys, the first game ended goalless and the second ended 2-0 in favour of Silver.
Chawanangwa Kawonga appears to be enjoying a rich vein of form and should lead Silver’s attack aided by Stain Dave while Tawonga Chimodzi, Zebron Kalima, Chikondi Kamanga and Nyoni will control the engine room.
Bullets will bank their hopes on gangly Nigerian forward Babatunde Adepoju, who is tipped to mesh with Hassan Kajoke while Henry Kabichi, Chiwemwe Idana, Mischeck Selemani and Magaleta will control the midfield.
Wali will be eager to impress against his former side in defence which should also comprise Nickson Nyasulu and Gomezgani Chirwa.
The Super League champions could also give their captain John Lanjesi, left-back Precious Sambani and midfielder Righteous Banda, who are returning from a long injury lay off, a run.
Last season, the two teams met four times. In the league, Silver won the first round 1-0 and Bullets settled the scored by winning the second round by a similar margin.
The Central Bankers booted out the People’s Team from FDH Bank Cup 4-2 on post-match penalties after playing out a two-all draw in regulation time and Bullets hit back by edging Silver 1-0 in the final of the Airtel Top 8.
On Friday, NBS Bank, who are sponsoring the shield to the tune of K15 million, presented sets of uniforms to the two teams in Blantyre.
Proceeds from the match to be played under the theme Together Supporting Flood Victims, will go towards flood survivors left destitute in the Lower Shire Valley districts of Chikwawa and Nsanje following the Tropical Storm Ana.
