Silver Strikers striker Binwell Katinji has declared his team’s unwavering determination to reach the CAF Champions League group stages, despite facing a formidable challenge in the return leg against Tanzanian giants Young Africans SC.
The Central Bankers secured a crucial 1-0 victory over Yanga at Bingu National Stadium on Saturday, leaving them just 90 minutes away from making history as the first Malawian club to qualify for the group stages since 2004.
Speaking after the match, Katinji exuded confidence ahead of next Saturday’s decisive second leg in Tanzania.
“We are forcing the door to reach the group stages of the Champions League,” Katinji said. “We know that Yanga are a good team and we can’t sit here talking about their weaknesses. But we have played against them now, we know their strengths and weaknesses, and we are going to exploit those weaknesses to try and win the game.”
The striker emphasized that Silver Strikers would maintain the same approach that delivered success in the first leg.
“We are going to prepare for the return leg the same way we have done here. The coaches have seen what works, and we are not going to change. We want to fight for it. We don’t fear them—we are going there full throttle, and we are going to fight.”
In a bold statement that will resonate with Malawian football fans, Katinji insisted his team belongs on the same stage as their illustrious opponents.
“Silver Strikers is as big as Yanga. We are the champions here in Malawi. Their players have two legs each and we also have two legs each. We have to fight for it and we will fight for it,” he declared.
He then sent a defiant message to the Yanga faithful: “They must take care—we are not coming to Tanzania to play, but to work.”
Andrew Joseph scored the all-important goal at Bingu National Stadium, converting a through ball from Ernest Petro to give the Bankers a slender advantage heading into the return fixture.
The winner of the tie will advance to the group stages of Africa’s premier club competition, with Silver Strikers now tantalizingly close to ending Malawi’s 21-year wait for representation at that level.
The second leg kicks off next Saturday in Tanzania, where Silver Strikers will need to show the same fighting spirit and tactical discipline that earned them victory on home soil.
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