The nation’s attention will be fixed on Kamuzu Stadium this weekend as the oldest football facility will host two high-profile semifinal matches in the Castel Challenge Cup.
The Blantyre Derby between cross-town rivals FCB Nyasa Big Bullets and Mighty Mukuru Wanderers will headline these fixtures.
The first semifinal contest will be between Bangwe All Stars and Silver Strikers and 24 hours later, the same venue will see Bullets hosting Wanderers where the winner will face the winner in the semifinal one for the top prize in the final.
Bangwe All Stars versus Silver Strikers
First cup meeting between the two teams, but the third overall meeting across all the competitions ever since the rookies were promoted to the top flight league at the end of the 2022 season in the ThumbsUp Southern Region Football League.
In the league, the Central Bankers won the first-round contest with a comfortable 4-1 at Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe.
However, Bangwe avenged that loss with a hard-fought 3-2 win over Pieter De Jongh’s men in the reverse fixture at Saturday’s venue.
Road to the semis
Abel Mkandawire’s men started their campaign with a comfortable 7-0 win over Msuwazi FC in the Round of 64.
The rookies kept on shining in the Round of 32 when they hammered Bocca Junior FC 9-1.
Their first ultimate test in the competition was in the Round of 16, where they hosted Mafco FC at Mpira Stadium.
A lone strike from Talandira Chigaula was enough to handle a hard-fought 1-0 win to advance to the last eight where Chitipa United stood in their way.
They traveled to Karonga to face McDonald Mtetemera men at Karonga Stadium.
The regulation time ended goalless, and the match had to be decided on penalties, which they won 3-4.
As for their opponents, they did not start their journey with Round of 64 matches as they were seeded, and they only played from the Round of 32 where they thumped St. Gabriel Zitha 5-0 to reach the next round.
They hosted Ekwendeni United in the Round of 16, where they easily cruised with a comfortable 7-1 win to reach the quarter-finals of the cup.
In the last eight, they hosted Blue Eagles. De Jongh’s men came from behind to beat Eliya Kananji’s charges 4-2 to book a semifinal spot against Bangwe All Stars.
The Bankers have not won a trophy of any kind since they lifted the FDH Bank Cup in the 2020/21 season.
Reaching the semifinals of this competition takes them closer to trying to end these two years’ trophy drought. But they are facing a resilient side that, on a good day, can shock them the way they did in the second round of the league.
To overcome the rookies, they need to be at their best level, and playing away from home will not make the contest a walkover for the Area 47-based side.
Bullets versus Wanderers
This competition offers Wanderers an opportunity to win at least a single silverware to end their trophy drought in the 2023 season, but they face an uphill battle against their ruthless rivals who, when they see a trophy, go for it.
The Nomads’ failure to win something in the ongoing season is a worrisome development after spending millions on new players but they ended up missing out on the TNM Super League and FDH Bank Cup to their rivals who have already added two trophies to their cabinet.
Bullets have been the lone dominant force in Malawian football for too long, claiming every single trophy available to them.
Now, having won the two trophies, Kalisto Pasuwa’s men will be targeting a treble, something that they have failed to achieve in the last decade.
Now, in their effort to add to their collection, the People’s Team clash with their cross-town rivals for a place in the final.
In the last decade, this will be the fifth semifinal meeting between the two teams, with Bullets winning four games against Wanderers’ single-win
But they lost to Wanderers in the last cup final at Bingu National Stadium last year when the Nomads won 5-4 on penalties to win the Airtel Top 8 Cup.
Wanderers’ three cup victories over Bullets came in 2012 when they knocked them out of Standard Bank semis on penalties. The regulation time ended 1-1, and the Nomads went on to carry the day with a 4-3 post-match penalty victory.
In 2015, they met in the Carlsberg Cup final at Civo Stadium. Wanderers won 2-1.
Last season, they defeated Bullets 5-4 on penalties to win the Airtel Top 8 Cup following a goalless draw in regulation time.
In semifinal matches, Bullets were 1-0 winners over Wanderers in the 2014 Carlsberg Cup match played at Civo Stadium. Jimmy Zakazaka scored early to condemn their rivals to another painful derby loss.
In 2018, they met again in the Airtel Top 8 match at BNS. Two early second-half goals from Bright Munthali and Chiukepo Msowoya inspired Bullets to a victory, with Wanderers’ only goal of the match coming from Zicco Mkanda.
In 2021, Bullets hammered their rivals 4-1 in the semis of the Airtel Cup. Babatunde Adepoju, signed from the Nomads, punished his former side with all four goals scored on that day. Wanderers’ consolation goal came from Vincent Nyangulu.
Last season, another semifinal showdown in the FDH Bank Cup went to Bullets who humiliated their opponents 4-0. A brace from Hassan Kajoke and lone strikes from Gomezgani Chirwa and Adepoju sealed the victory for Pasuwa’s charges.
In the last four semifinal matches, Wanderers have conceded ten goals against their rivals who only let in two goals.
In the league, this first-round match ended goalless while the return fixture ended 1-1 while in the Charity Shield, Bullets won 2-1 at BNS.
Road to the semis
Bullets started their campaign with a 2-0 win over Lipulumundu FC in the Round of 64. They hosted Soche Socials in the Last 32, in which they won 4-2.
Their Round of 16 opposition was Civil Service United. Pasuwa’s charges won the contest convincingly, beating the Lilongwe-based side 3-0 to book a quarterfinal spot in which they faced Ekwendeni Hammers.
They hammered them 3-0 to advance to the last four, where they will now host Wanderers for a place in the final.
As for the Nomads, they thumped Katete Rangers 9-1 in the Round of 64 before overcoming a resilient FOMO FC 1-0 in the Round of 32.
In the last 16, they were hosted by Red Lions at Balaka Stadium. A lone strike from Gaddie Chirwa won the match for them to advance to the quarter-finals where they hosted Moyale Barracks.
Mark Harrison’s charges destroyed the soldiers with a 3-0 convincing win to reach the semis.
Next on the menu for them is Bullets.
