The new TNM Super League season kicks off on Saturday with defending champions and quadruple-winning FCB Nyasa Big Bullets facing Dedza Dynamos at Dedza Stadium as they start the chase for an unprecedented sixth straight league title.
This match will officially launch the 2024 season.
It’s a very tricky game for Kalisto Pasuwa’s charges who are winless on their last visit to the facility after they lost 1-0 to Mafco in the 2022 season, before losing with the same margin to Saturday’s host in the second round of last season.
But, their assistant coach Micheal Ngole spoke with optimism that a positive result at Dedza Stadium was possible.
“Every dog has its day. We are winless in our last matches, but this won’t decide our future, we will go there to win, and I am very confident that these boys will deliver,” he told Bullets media.
Inspired by last season’s performance in which the team finished in seventh position, the newly appointed coach Andrew Bunya is inspired to get the job done, saying the key secret is to ensure to win all the home games.
“We are ready for the new season, and we are ready for our first match. We have to win this one because this will give us the much-needed confidence for the remainder of the season,” he said.
Silver Strikers, runners-up last season after leading for much of the campaign, especially in the first round, host Chitipa United at Silver Stadium. Peter Mponda’s side, who have added several players to the squad, including Binwell Katinji, lost 7-6 to Bullets in the NBS Bank Charity Shield Cup in Lilongwe.
But, Mponda will be hoping for a better start to his first season at Area 47 as he promised them to end the league drought, which now lasts for a decade.
The Bankers are hosting a side that frustrated them with a goalless draw at home, and they will go flat-out to avoid a repeat of last season where they dropped unnecessary points at home.
Elsewhere, there will be a family affair at Mzuzu Stadium when Moyale Barracks host Mafco FC.
Ironically, it was Mafco who saved their brothers in arms from being relegated with a hard-fought 2-1 win away to Blue Eagles, who ended up being related on the final day of the 2023 season.
At Mulanje Park, Bangwe All Stars will face the newly promoted FOMO FC while
On Sunday, Mighty Mukuru Wanderers, third last season, will host Kamuzu Barracks at Kamuzu Stadium while Crerk Sporting Club, another newly promoted side, will rock horns with Mighty Tigers at Civo Stadium.
At Mzuzu Stadium, Mzuzu City Hammers, formerly Ekwendeni Hammers, will welcome Civil Service United.
The final match of the day will be a ‘mini’ Derby between Baka City and Karonga United at Karonga Stadium.
