Sports Extra

Where are the strikers?

Nyasa Big Bullets forward Chiukepo Msowoya and his Red Lions counterpart Innocent Bokosi emerged joint Golden Boot winners in the 2015 TNM Super League season.

Their achievements are worth celebrating because good strikers are measured by their goal-scoring prowess.

Holds the highest scoring record: Malunga
Holds the highest scoring record: Malunga

However, it must be said that the 14 goals each of the two strikers scored, is the least number of goals to grant one the golden boot accolade in the top-flight league in 14 seasons. On average, the two strikers scored  a single goal in two matches.

It is also important to note that there has been a downward trend in terms of goal-scoring in the elite league for the past three seasons when it went from 18 goals in 2013 to 17 in 2014 and 14 last season.

Of course, Bullets striker Divason Mlozi also took the top-scorer’s purse in the 2007/8 season with 14 goals but, except for that season, the Golden Boot winners have been taking the accolade with not less than 16 goals.

For the previous six seasons, top scorers in the 15-team league were being decided by at least 18 goals.

The likes of Tony Chitsulo (2009 Silver Strikers), Chikondi Mpulula/Luka Milanzi (2010 Blue Eagles/Escom United respectively), Ishmael Thindwa (2011 and 2013 Epac FC) and Vincent Chinthenga (2012 Bvumbwe Reasearch) nailed it with 18 goals while Gastin Simkonda (2014 Moyale Barracks) did it with 17 goals.

In the Super League history, former Bullets forward Ganizani Malunga holds the record as the highest goal-poacher in a season following his 28 goals in the 2002/3 season. Ex-MDC United forward Heston Munthali, who netted 24 in 2001, comes second.

While Msowoya and Bokosi attributed last season’s goalscoring toil to a mere misfortune, soccer analyst Charles Nyirenda believes this happened due to the lack of creativity among most midfielders in the league.

According to the former Football Association of Malawi (FAM) general secretary, the league had generally good strikers and defenders but poor midfielders.

He said the fact that four strikers, namely, Msowoya, Bokosi, Silver Strikers’ Green Harawa (12 goals) and Civo United’s Nelson Kangunje (11 goals) were in tight contention for the golden boot award is enough proof the league had good strikers last season.

“Of course, strikers are measured by their effort and ability to score a lot of goals. Nevertheless, we did not see much of their efforts translating into goals because most midfielders were unable to create scoring chances for the strikers,” he said.

Former Bullets general secretary Higger Mkandawire agreed with Nyirenda that Super League clubs need to build up strong and very creative midfielders if they are to notch more goals next season.

“If you observed, most strikers were denied balls upfront and were forced into the midfield to chase for the ball. And it is logically proven that strikers can hardly score in such situations as they do not have enough energy to take the ball forward and score,” Nyirenda said.

In spite of that, it seems goalscoring has been a big problem in the Southern African Region for the past three seasons. In the South African Premier Soccer League, Bernard Parker of Kaizer Chiefs won the top scorers accolade last season with10 goals, two goals less than what he achieved to take the golden boot the previous season. In the 2011/12 season, Siyabonga Nomvete of Moroka Swallows did it with 19 goals.

In Zimbabwe Premier Soccer League, Tendai Ndoro of Shabani Mine FC won the golden boot with 18 goals in 2013 while Nelson Nazivisa of Chicken Inn FC did it with the same number of goals in 2012. But last season, Highlanders midfielder Charles Sibanda and How Mine striker Kuda Musharu shared the top score’s prize after  netting 12 goals each.

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