The 2020 TNM Super League season will continue this weekend across the country with some exciting fixtures.
Level on points with log leaders Nyasa Big Bullets, Blue Eagles FC will be hoping to retain to the top of the summit when they host Karonga United, one of the three winless teams in the ongoing season.
The Area 30 based side played to a 1-1 draw at home to Bullets last week and eventually lost their number one status to the defending champions when Bullets won 1-0 away to Dedza Dynamos on Wednesday.
But this fixture gives Eagles an opportunity to regain back the position as Bullets will be playing Sunday afternoon against Mafco FC.
However, they have to overcome a very unpredictable side in Karonga United. The Northern Region outfit have two draws and two defeats in the ongoing season but they can pull a surprise at Nankhaka Stadium to kickstart their 2022 campaign.
In the previous season, they drew 3-3 at the same venue.
In other fixture, Mighty Wanderers will return to Kamuzu Stadium for the first time in three weeks when they host newly promoted Sable Farming.
The two teams are coming from a very successful weekend when they registered victories over two military teams in the name of Moyale Barracks and Red Lions respectively.
This will be the first meeting between the two sides and that’s why it will be an interesting fixture because there are no certainties for either side especially Wanderers who have had a mixed start to the season.
At Civo Stadium, struggling Moyale Barracks will have another tough outing when they travel to Lilongwe to play Kamuzu Barracks, a side which has had a good start to the season.
A defeat to Mighty Tigers away from home and back to back defeats at home to Eagles and Wanderers, The Kaning’ina based Soldiers have had a very difficult start to the new campaign with their only win coming from 1-0 victory over Civil Service United at Mzuzu Stadium.
The only way for them to kickstart their campaign is to collect maximum points over fellow brothers in arms but they are facing a team which is enjoying a good form.
The Capital City Soldiers have two wins, a draw and one defeat as they lie third in the standings with seven points.
Last week, they swept aside TN Stars to bounce back from their 2-1 defeat to Dedza Dynamos a fortnight ago.
It will be an interesting match for both teams especially the fact that Deus Mkutu, who was once a Moyale Barracks hit man, will be facing his former club. This will be one of the blockbuster matches in week 5.
At Mpira Stadium, Tigers will play host to Red Lions FC. Both teams are coming from bad outings, with Tigers collecting a point from the possible six in their Northern Region outfit when they lost 3-0 to rookies Rumphi United before a goalless draw with Ekwendeni Hammers 24 hours later.
But they are also facing a side which started well but now the going is getting tougher for the Old Capital City Soldiers who were beaten 2-0 by Sable Farming.
The Zomba based side has two wins, a draw and one defeat and a win over Tigers will see them making more movements in the log table.
This will be an entertaining match from two teams very familiar with Mpira Stadium as they once used it as their home ground.
On Sunday, defending champions will entertain struggling Mafco FC at Kamuzu Stadium.
The People’s Team are currently top with ten points from four games and will be looking forward to maintaining their position depending on Eagles vs Karonga United result on Saturday.
They are a very difficult side to beat at home and are facing a side which has two points from four games, having lost to Eagles and Red Lions before drawing against Hammers and Civil Service United last week.
But in the previous season, they forced Bullets at Civo Stadium to a goalless draw before repeating the same feat with a 1-1 draw at Kamuzu Stadium.
It’s a match which Mafco FC needs to revive their season but they face a daunting task to stop Bullets which is always more dangerous whenever playing at their own backyard.
At Civo Stadium, Civil Service United will welcome Karonga United in another exciting fixture.
The Servants have one win, two draws and one defeat despite starting the season on a very high note.
They have played to back to back draws, scoring one goal and firing blanks against a struggling Mafco FC at their venue.
For them to keep pace with early pacesetters, they must beat Karonga United at all cost.
On the other hand, depending on Saturday’s result away to Nankhaka Stadium, Karonga United will come gun blazing in search of something out of the match. It will likely be a tough match for the two teams with almost similar records in the ongoing campaign.
At Kasungu Stadium, two struggling teams in the name of TN Stars and Moyale Barracks will also battle for points to revive their season.
TN Stars, winless in the new campaign, will be looking for nothing less than a win to start their mission of moving out of the relegation zone.
They have a point from four games after they registered three defeats and haven’t scored any goal in the 2022 season.
A team which finished in the top 8 last season will have to do more than what they did last season if they are to make it into the top 8.
As it is, they are favorites for relegation if they don’t find their feet but they have to overcome the Mzuzu based Soldiers who will also be looking for a win after such a bad start to the season.
At Mzuzu Stadium, Ekwendeni Hammers will face Rumphi United, a side which registered its first win last week.
As for the Hammers, they started the season well but now they are struggling for goals after they were lost to Bullets before a 1-1 draw with Sable Farming and a goalless draw at home to Tigers last week.
For The Leopards of Chikulamayembe, they will go into this match with confidence after their first win and they will be pushing for more to keep moving away from the relegation zone.
On Monday, Dedza Dynamos will face another daunting task with a tough away fixture at Silver Stadium against Silver Strikers FC.
On Wednesday, the newly promoted side lost 1-0 to Bullets but they gave the defending champions a tough run for their money.
They also started well with two wins, a draw and one defeat but they are visiting a venue which is mostly a no go zone area for any visitor.
The Bankers are coming from Karonga where they hammered Karonga United 2-0 and this will motivate them to do well against the rookies with no experience.
A win for them will surely send a strong warning to fellow title contenders who will play on Saturday and Sunday respectively.
But consistency will be the key to them if they are to mount a serious title challenge against Bullets and Wanderers.
However, Dedza Dynamos is one stubborn side and underrating them will be too dangerous for David Kabwe’s side.
Week five will end with some midweek fixtures involving Mafco FC and TN Stars at Chitowe Stadium and Red Lions versus Blue Eagles at Balaka Stadium.
