The country’s sports journalists on Wednesday finished casting their votes in the 2017 Carlsberg Cup Discovery of the Year award.
On Tuesday, the Football Association of Malawi released the 3 names of nominees to battle for the individual accolade, which goes to a previously unknown player who has become a real revelation due to his exploits in the competition.
As per the current tradition, FAM leaves the responsibility in the hands of the sports scribes through their internationally accredited body, Sports Writers Association of Malawi (SWAM), to decide the winner.
SWAM members were from Tuesday afternoon till Wednesday 18:00hrs, casting their votes in a secret ballot, to decide who takes home the K200,000 that goes with the gong.
All the 3 finalists are from the Southern Region Football League and they are all strikers.
They are Nchalo United goal poacher Tony biasi, Phillip Kishombe of Cobbe Barracks and Michiru Madrid’s Charles Chipala.
28-year-old Kishombe, a former Red Lions forward was the tournament’s top scorer with 7 goals all coming in 4 games. Those goals were enough to guide his side into the quarterfinals of the competition where they lost to eventual champions Nyasa Big Bullets.
Enroute to the last 8, the Soldiers booted out Super League sides Azam tigers and Blantyre United among others.
Biasi, 19, banged 6 goals in 3 matches as his Lower Shire outfit exited the tournament in the round of 32 , losing to Chitipa United.
Chipala inspired Madrid to the quarterfinal round where they fell to Moyale Barracks.
The 19-year-old scored two goals in four fixtures and made several assists, in victories among them over elite sides Masters Security and Chitipa United.
The player with the most votes will be announced winner by FAM this weekend.
Last year’s winner was Blue Eagles goalkeeper George Chauya, then with Mangochi United.
He beat off competition from Bullets forward Collen Nkhulambe, then with Mzuzu United and Prison United goal minder the late Moses Liundi.
Chauya scooped 15 votes while Nkhulambe and Liundi got 6 and 3 votes respectively.
Ooh thought it’s another By-Elections!