It is time for Silver Strikers players to man-up and give their fans what they deserve for being royal to the club by start winning again.
Just before the start of the ongoing season, the then General Secretary for the club told the local media that they were targeting a quadruple.However, that dream started fading slowly after they got eliminated from the Airtel Top 8 Knockout Cup.
The Central Bankers then made amends when they defied all odds to climb top of the standings in the TNM Super League but they surrendered their position to the current leaders Nyasa Big Bullets and since then, they have struggled to catch up with the set pacers.
Last weekend, the Bankers got knocked out of another cup, this time around, losing 1-0 to MAFCO FC in the round of 16 of the Carlsberg Cup.
And just when everybody thought the Area 47 giants would close the gap on league leaders, they lost 2-1 to rivals Civil Sporting Club to put their title chances in jeopardy.
This is a club that spent more than K15 million on recruiting new players.
Jack Chiona, Mphatso Phillimon, Khuda Muyaba, Zikani Kasambara and Lazarus Nyemera arrived at Area 47 in the just ended transfer summer from which millions were spent.
But why is the team struggling? Is it about management? Are the players not happy? Is the technical panel incompetent?
While Silver Strikers management have seldom been hasty to wield the axe at their head coach when things aren’t going according to plan, there is already a sense of growing discontent among the Bankers faithful, who are hurting for exiting two cup competitions.
The players have to take responsibility for the current poor run of form.
We have never heard them complaining of unpaid allowances or salaries and they are currently being paid well by the Reserve Bank but they are failing to deliver on the pitch.
With what on paper looks a pretty decent squad, surely one capable of challenging for honors, it is now up to the players to take on board Young Chimodzi’s instructions and to fully come to terms with what it means to play for the Lilongwe giants.
The team is misfiring, making schoolboy errors and the players’ commitment is no longer the same.
They started the campaign on a high note but the Bankers are no longer playing for the fans, they are just playing for the sake of fulfilling their fixtures.
Firing and hiring of coaches won’t bring results on the table, players are solely responsible for whatever is happening and only if they are willing to go back to winning ways, glory days will return to the Bankers who last won the league five years ago.
With two cups gone already, it will be unrealistic to think that they can win the league but their only chance is to challenge for the Fisd Cup. Otherwise, it will be a trophyless season for the big spenders.
It is time to man up or burst.
