Despite leading the TNM Super League standings, FCB Nyasa Big Bullets head coach Peter Mponda has downplayed his team’s early success, tipping rivals Silver Strikers and Mighty Wanderers as the stronger contenders for this season’s title.
The record champions, Bullets, have made a strong start under Mponda, winning six of their first seven matches in all competitions, including five consecutive victories in the league. This run has seen them top the table in the opening weeks of the season.
However, Mponda believes the consistency and squad continuity of the Blantyre-based Wanderers and Lilongwe giants Silver Strikers give them the edge in the title race.
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“Silver Strikers are the hotter favourites,” Mponda said. “They won the league last season, and their squad is still intact. They’ve even strengthened with some quality additions. Wanderers, too, are looking solid under Bob Mpinganjira. His squad is also intact and performing well. Most of the players are familiar with his style, which is different here. We have a new coach, and many players left. The current squad is still adjusting to our system.”
Wanderers have enjoyed a positive start of their own, registering five wins from six matches across all competitions. Their only blemish came in the Airtel Top 8 Cup, where they were stunned by Karonga United. In the league, however, they have been consistent, winning four out of five matches and sitting just behind Bullets.
Silver Strikers had a slower start, opening the campaign with a 1-0 defeat to Bullets followed by a draw against Chitipa United. But the Central Bankers have quickly recovered, registering convincing victories over Moyale Barracks in both legs of the Airtel Top 8 and claiming league wins against Kamuzu Barracks and Songwe Border United.
Mponda maintained that his focus is on his team’s development rather than the competition.
“For now, we are just concentrating on ourselves,” he said. “It’s in our hands. We are trying to control our performances and results. We’re not looking over our shoulders to see who’s behind us. The most important thing is to focus on our own progress and win as many games as we can.”
This weekend promises high drama in the Super League as Silver Strikers and Mighty Wanderers clash in a mouthwatering fixture
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