Super League returns: Kananji kicks off life at Creck with Chatama

The TNM Super League is set to resume this weekend after a brief, yet significant, one-week hiatus that saw the Malawi National Team participate in the 2025 Cosafa Cup in South Africa and this week promises to deliver high-octane intense competition.

Saturday will mark the recommencement of the resumption two fixtures, among them a highly anticipated encounter between two of the league’s well-funded teams: Ekhaya FC and Creck Sporting Clu.

For Creck Sporting Club, this trip to Blantyre marks their second visit to the city this campaign, having previously faced FCB Nyasa Big Bullets in their second game of the season.

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Since that early encounter, Creck has largely confined their league fixtures to the Central Region, where they have played against formidable opponents such as Blue Eagles, Mighty Tigers, Kamuzu Barracks, Mighty Wanderers, Songwe Border United, and Mafco FC.

Ekhaya FC, on the other hand, have been the surprise package of the season. The newcomers have impressed with their fearless approach and consistent performances. They return to their home ground after an away fixture against Blue Eagles, eager to continue their impressive run.

Form Guide: The recent journeys

The hosts, Ekhaya FC, have truly been performing wonders in the TNM Super League this season. Dubbed “The Cowboys,” they currently occupy a commendable third place on the league table with 13 points amassed from seven games.

Their journey so far has seen them register four wins, one draw, and two defeats. They kicked off their campaign with a solid 2-0 victory over Mighty Tigers, with Lovemore Mbeta and Emmanuel Saviel each finding the back of the net. They then secured another crucial 1-0 win at home against Civil Service United.

Enos Chatama’s men then embarked on a challenging three-game away stint. They suffered their first defeat of the campaign in Karonga against Chitipa United, but quickly bounced back with a resilient 2-1 win over the struggling Songwe Border United.

Their away woes continued with a 1-0 loss to Kamuzu Barracks at Champions Stadium in Mponela, but they once again demonstrated their resilience by securing a dominant 2-0 home win against Karonga United. Most recently, they played out a barren draw against Blue Eagles, highlighting their defensive solidity.

Creck Sporting Club enters this match under a new era, with Eliya Kananji taking the reins as head coach. This comes after the dismissal of Joseph Kamwendo following a difficult start to the season. Kananji, who recently left Blue Eagles where he had been coaching since 2022, will make his debut in charge of Creck in this crucial encounter.

Creck Sporting endured a torrid start to the season with back-to-back heavy defeats, falling 4-1 to Dedza Dynamos and an identical 4-1 scoreline against FCB Nyasa Big Bullets.

They managed to salvage a point with a goalless draw against Blue Eagles, which was followed by a narrow 1-0 victory over Mighty Tigers. Their momentum was then halted by a 1-0 loss to Mighty Wanderers at Champions Stadium.

However, under interim coach Harry Saidi, the team has shown signs of resurgence, winning two of their last three matches. They secured a hard-fought draw against Kamuzu Barracks before registering impressive victories, beating Songwe Border United 2-0 at Aubrey Dimba and Mafco FC 2-1 in Chitowe.

These recent positive results have seen Creck Sporting climb from the bottom three to 9th position in the league standings, with 11 points from 8 games.

Ekhaya FC will be looking to leverage their strong home form and continue their surprising ascent up the table. Creck Sporting, under the fresh guidance of Eliya Kananji, will be eager to prove their capabilities and build on their recent improvements. This is the first competitive meeting between the two teams but not the first meeting between Enos Chatama and Kananji,they once met in FDH Bank Cup and Chatama won the battle.