Hammers’ coach targets top 8 finish despite relegation battle

Mzuzu City Hammers Head Coach Elias Chirambo says he is targeting a top 8 finish this season despite his team languishing in the bottom three of the 2025 TNM Super League log table.

Hammers endured a difficult first round, suffering 11 defeats while winning just two games and drawing twice. This represents a significant decline from their impressive 2024 campaign, when they finished in the top five.

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However, the team has shown signs of resurgence at the start of the second round, winning two of their last three games. They recorded victories over Ekhaya FC and Mighty Tigers, and drew against Blue Eagles.

Speaking after Wednesday afternoon’s win against Tigers at Mzuzu Stadium, Chirambo expressed confidence that his team will not only avoid relegation but also qualify for next season’s Airtel Top 8 Cup.

“According to the squad that we have now, I’m confident that we will survive relegation and we will play in the Airtel Top 8 Cup next season,” he said. “We have a very good squad now. We have to keep working hard. We are back at our own home ground [Mzuzu Stadium], and hopefully we will be doing well. We beg the supporters to come and support the team.”

Commenting on his players’ performance against Tigers, Chirambo said: “I’m happy with the performance of my players. [Mighty] Tigers scored first, but we managed to get an equalizer and a winning goal. I’m happy with the team.”

Hammers have collected just 15 points from 18 games and will face Civil Service United in their next assignment.

Mzuzu City Hammers joined the elite league in 2021 and have established themselves as competitive force in Malawian football. The club enjoyed a particularly strong 2024 season and have reached two cup finals since their promotion—losing to Silver Strikers in the 2021 FDH Bank Cup final and to Mighty Wanderers in the 2024 Castel Challenge Cup final.