Head to Head: The 2016, 2017 Super League seasons

The 2017 Tnm Super League season has come and gone leaving behind memories for teams.

For the Champions, Be Forward Wanderers, it was a season to remember as they broke their duck to clinch the title for the first time in 11 years.

They will be further spoiled during the awards gala night this month when the season officially comes to a conclusion.

In overall terms the 2017 season was tougher than its predecessor, as evidenced by the number of points required to win the title.

In 2016, Kamuzu Barracks (KB) won it with 61 points while this time around the Nomads had to hit a record 69 points to touch paradise.

Goals were also hard to come by in 2017, as compared to the 2016 the campaign.

Last season saw 560 goals in less than 240 games as Max Bullets pulled out of the race with 8 games left, but this year 559 goals were registered in 239 fixtures, with one game not played as Masters Security boycotted their tie against Nyasa Big Bullets.

The 2016 season saw 175 wins and 65 draws while the just ended campaign witnessed 178 wins and 62 draws.

Richard Mbulu, then with Mafco, claimed the 2016 season golden boot with 19 goals but Silver Strikers hitman, Mathews Sibale has netted just 16 goals to win the same award this season.

KB were the highest scoring team in 2016 with 55 goals while Civil Sporting Club have done likewise this term with 47.

Bullets continue to boast of the best defence in two consecutive seasons. In 2016 they conceded 17 goals while this term they leaked just 10.

The 2017 season registered 566 cards, 30 red cards and 536 yellows while the 2016 campaign had 554 cards, of which 522 were yellow with 32 red.

How teams fared in 2017 as compared to the 2016 season

Wanderers fully merited the championship as they collected 20 points more than they did last season, when they finished 6th on the table.

In 2016, the Nomads managed 49 points after winning 13 games, losing 7 and drawing 10, but on their way to the champions podium this year, Yasin Osman’s blue army bagged 69 points after notching 21 wins, suffering 3 losses and drawing 6 times.

Bullets who have maintained second position from last season, beat their 2016 tally with 7 points, but it wasn’t enough to take them to the title.

In 2016 they collected 60 points after 16 wins, 12 draws, and 2 defeats while this time around, they have managed 67 points, winning 20 games, drawing 7 and losing 3.

Silver Strikers who have ended the season in third place are as bad as Bullets in maintaining last season’s position despite beating the points tally with 5 points.

At the end of the 2016 season, the bankers had amassed 56 points after winning 16 games, losing 6 and drawing 8, while this term, they have wrapped up the campaign with 61 points winning 16, losing once and drawing 13.They were the team with the least defeats but that alone wasn’t enough to win them the championship.

The number 4 team after the 2017 season is Civil, arguably the most improved team of the season.

Civil were relegated at the end of the 2016 season after finishing second from bottom with just 25 points.

But after merging with Epac, the civil servants produced a stunning performance to grab 4th position with 48 points, 23 more than their 2016 tally.

Consolidating fifth position in 2017 is Blue Eagles, from Area 30 in Lilongwe.

Not a good run for the cops who were fourth in 2016 with 54 points. This time, they have managed 9 points less, with 45.

Mafco who ended up in fifth place last season have settled for sixth position this time.

Just like the Eagles, the Salima based soldiers have also failed to match their 2016 tally falling short by 6 points.

Last term they bagged 50 points while this year they have amassed 44.

Another army team follows in seventh place. It is Moyale Barracks who seem contented of commanding position 7 on the standings.

They were there last season with 47 points while currently they have secured the position minus 3 points after collecting 44.

The most underperforming team of the season lies eighth on the table and it’s Kamuzu Barracks, champions of the 2016 season.

KB defied all odds last season to lift the trophy sweeping 61 points into their bag after winning 19 games losing 7 and registering 4 stalemates.

But come 2017, the deposed kings have managed just 42 points, dropping 19 from their 2016 tally.

They have won just 12 matches losing another 12 while drawing 6.

Just like Bullets and Mafco, KB were unbeaten at home last season but as the curtain was drawn on the 2017 term, they had suffered 6 home defeats and another 6 on the road.

Last season they were the league’s highest scorers with 55 goals and a goal difference of 26, while this term they have a goal difference of 0 having scored and conceded 40 goals just like Mafco who have netted and leaked 31 goals.

Red lions mounted a successful relegation escape towards the end of the season under new coach Nelson Chirwa to finish ninth on the table, one step above their 2016 season finish which was 10.

But in terms of points collected, they just matched the 2016 tally of 40.

The Green Intellectuals of Mzuni who were ninth on the table in 2016 have gone down into tenth place in 2017 after dropping 4 points from their 2016 tally.

They have accumulated 37 points this term while the previous season saw them bagging 41.

Azam Tigers is another side to have performed poorly this season having dropped 11points from their 2016 tally.

The Kaukau boys have consequently dropped 3 places on the table from 8 to 11.

In 2016 they got 43 points but 2017 has seen them collecting 32.

Dwangwa United were regarded as relegation favourites by many at the end of the first round this season as they finished second from bottom with 11 points.

But they fought their way out of danger with a string of fine displays to secure another year of top flight football at the Chitowe Stadium, after bagging 20 more points in the second round.

However, they dropped by a step on the table from 12 to 13 as compared to the 2016 season while adding a point on last season’s tally from 30 to 31 this term.

Premier Bet Wizards were the last team to drop into the second tier division, joining Blantyre United and Chitipa United who had confirmed their places in the lower division some weeks earlier.

Wizards had a promising start to the season, at times topping the table in the first round, which they finished in tenth place with 19 points.

But they completely lost their way in the second round, from which they managed just 8 points to finish in fourteenth place with 27 points.

Last season they survived the chop after accumulating 30 points.

As the three teams prepare for midday kickoffs in the regional leagues, their places have already been taken up by Karonga United from the Northern Region Simama League and Nchalo United from the Southern Region Master Security Services Football League.

The battle for the third and final slot rages on, in the Chipiku Stores Central Region Football League, where TN Stars, Wimbe United and Holy Cross Ambassadors are likely contenders for the top flight league.