Beyond bragging rights: Silver, Civil face off for place in Airtel Top 8 final

A city divided! Lilongwe is bracing for a thrilling showdown this afternoon as Silver Strikers and Civil Service United clash in the Airtel Top 8 Cup semifinal at Bingu National Stadium. More than just a spot in the final is on the line; it’s about claiming pride and bragging rights in the Capital City derby.

FCB Nyasa Big Bullets secured their place in the final with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Karonga United on Saturday, and they’re eagerly awaiting their opponent.

For Silver, a win would mean their third Top 8 Cup final appearance against Bullets. But for Civil, a victory would be historic – not only their first Top 8 Cup final meeting with Bullets but also their maiden final in this competition, and their first cup final since winning the Standard Bank Cup in 2015 against Wanderers.

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Silver Strikers, two-time champions of the Top 8 Cup, are eyeing their fifth final. They’ve won two and lost two, making them the second most successful team in the competition behind Bullets. They won the inaugural tournament in 2017.

Civil Service United, on the other hand, made their debut in 2018, losing to Silver in the quarterfinals. They’ve faced early exits in subsequent seasons, including a semifinal loss to Silver in 2021 and quarterfinal defeats to Bullets in the last two seasons. This afternoon marks their second semifinal appearance, once again against their city rivals.

Mgangira cautions Silver despite recent dominance

The two teams meet just weeks after Silver secured a 2-0 league victory at home against Civil. While Silver has had the upper hand in recent derby encounters, coach Peter Mgangira is urging his players to be wary of complacency.

“We are coming from a draw over the weekend where we came from behind to grab a point over Blue Eagles FC, a result we did not prepare for,” Mgangira stated.

“Going into the semifinal we need to pick ourselves up and get a good result. We won in league action against Civil but that doesn’t have anything to do with this match; we need to forget the previous game, turn our focus on this game and make sure we get to the finals. Silver Strikers is a big club and getting to the final should always be something to look forward to.”

Adding to Silver’s confidence, Mgangira confirmed that several players who were sidelined due to injury are now available. “We have some good news going into the semifinal as we have gotten a boost with the return of a few players who were out last week due to injury,” he said.

Paipi, Allan, Nyoni, Chipala boost Silver’s Airtel Top 8 Semifinal preps

“Just to mention a few, forward Emmanuel Allan and center back Maxwell Paipi who were not available against Blue Eagles on Sunday, they are in this week and that’s fantastic news.”

Civil confident and ready for redemption

Civil Service assistant coach Wilson Chidati believes his side is both mentally and physically prepared for the challenge. “You know recently we lost to them [Silver]. We can’t accept to lose again. The players are ready. We have seen the response in training and we have confidence of getting a good result.”

Chidati also confirmed a near full-strength squad, stating, “Apart from one player Precous Chipungu, who is injured, all the players are available. This gives us lots of options.”