Poor results, coaching panel reshuffles and supporters’ revolt. All the negativity have been a constant occurrence at Be Forward Wanderers. But as if that is not torturous enough, Premier Bet Wizards are plotting to pile more misery on the Nomads.
The two sides face off at Kamuzu Stadium in Blantyre this afternoon where Wanderers aim to resuscitate their wrecked Super League title bid while Wizards step up their relegation battle.
In an interview Thursday, Wizards coach Peter Mponda said apart from bagging the points, the victory over Wanderers would give his charges the swagger and confidence in their remaining matches.
“Wanderers is a big team, so if we beat them the boys will have a feeling that they can triumph over any team, a mentality that can strengthen our survival bid,” he said.
On the pitch the Nomads have been largely unimpressive recently having only collected three points from three games—the poor run of form which saw the club hierarchy replacing head coach Eddingtone Ng’onamo with Yasin ‘Titch’ Osman.
Going into match, Wanderers lament on position eight with 32 points with eight games to play before wrapping up their season.
Mponda feared that the unfolding drama at the Lali Lubani Road side could have lifted the pressure on the Nomads players.
“Psychologically, Wanderers players might be at a point where losing doesn’t matter anymore because they have suffered a lot already. They will play without any pressure and that might turn out to be a disadvantage to my boys,” he said.
Wizards are currently stuck in relegation mud with 19 points from 21 games, but Wanderers coach Osman said underrating them would be as dangerous as swimming in crocodile infested waters.
“In football any team can cause you problems. We will approach the match with caution. But our target is to win,” he said.
The Nomads might be without forward Amos Bello who hobbled off during Wanderers match against Kamuzu Barracks after suffering a knee injury.
“He is on the right path to recovery, but I cannot confirm if he will be available to play against Wizards,” he said.
History does not favour Wizards though as they have not beaten Wanderers in their last three attempts, the latest one ended 4-0 during the Super League first round.
At Civo Stadium, Kamuzu Barracks face Epac United in a potentially titanic Lilongwe derby. The fifth placed army side could soar to 40 points and third position with a victory.
Epac who, by their standards, have been magnificent this season. They are on position 10 with 27 points, but still need points to steer clear of relegation battles. n
