The 2022 FDH Bank Cup will be unveiled on Monday at a media conference to be held at the Ryalls Hotel in Blantyre.
FAM Competitions and Communications Director Gomezgani Zakazaka said the unveiling will be followed by Regional preliminary round draw.
Zakazaka said FDH Bank will also present 2021 FDH Bank Cup individual awards in the players and media categories.
“We are set to get the competition started for 2022 and we are excited that the biggest knockout cup on the land in terms of participation is back.
“We expect about 74 teams to take part in the competition that’s 16 from the Super League and 58 from Regional Leagues. More details will be unveiled at the draw,” said Zakazaka.
The nominees for the 2021 FDH bank players’ awards are as follows:
Player of the Tournament
Name: Charles Thom
Position: Goalkeeper
Club: Silver Strikers
Number of games Played: 4
Number of games started: 4
Total Minutes played: 360
Clean sheets: 3
Charles Thom had a 2021 to remember. He displaced Brighton Thom as Silver Strikers number one goalkeeper and played a crucial role in Silver Strikers’ run to being crowned the inaugural FDH Cup champions. He was unbeaten in three matches and only conceded two goals in the quarterfinal match against Nyasa Big Bullets. He then saved two penalties in the shoot-out as Silver eliminated Bullets and was unbeaten against Mighty Wanderers in the semis and Ekwendeni in the final.
Name: Chancy Mtete
Position: Goalkeeper
Club: Ekwendeni Hammers
Number of games played: 5
Number of games started: 5
Total Minutes played: 450
Clean sheets: 3
Mtete played a huge role in inspiring Ekwendeni Hammers to their first ever major cup final which they lost 2-0 to Silver Strikers. He played all the five games and conceded three goals but managed to keep three clean sheets en-route to the final. His rise to become Ekwendeni Hammers’ number one goal-minder is interesting. He was playing for the team’s reserves at the beginning of the season but was called to the main team just nine games into the season as a cover-up after the team’s established keepers were dropped for disciplinary breaches. Mtete grabbed the opportunity, securing the position and playing like a seasoned campaigner to inspire Hammers to the final. He performance saw him being called for the Malawi Under-23 National Football team which went to Turkey and where was first choice goalkeeper.
Name: Blessing Tembo
Position: Midfielder
Club: Silver Strikers
Number of games Played: 5
Number of games started: 5
Total Number of Minutes played: 355
Goals: 1
Mystery remains on how Blessing Tembo returned to Silver Strikers after he was labelled as a traitor following his unceremonious exit three years before. But, for sure, his return in 2021 was worth it as he was one of the team’s key players in the 2021 season as the Bankers won the FDH Bank Cup and finished as runners-up in the League and Airtel Top 8. He had a decent run in the FDH Cup as the bankers become the first winners of the Cup. He was the architecture of Silver Strikers’ come from behind win against Big Bullets in the quarterfinals, walking away with the man-of-the-match award. He scored one of the goals of the tournament as the Bankers ripped apart Be Forward Wanderers in the semifinal and shone in the final as well.
Goalkeeper of the Tournament
Name: Charles Thom (Statistics as above)
Name: Chancy Mtete (Statistics as above)
Name: Innocent Nyasulu
Position: Goalkeeper
Club: Rumphi United
Number of games Played: 4 (Excluding Regional Playoffs)
Number of games started: 4
Total Number of Minutes played:450
Clean sheets :2
Rumphi United were the most outstanding Non-Super League side in the FDH Cup as they were the only Regional League outfit to reach the semifinals. They eliminated giants Red Lions in the Round of 16 and in the semifinal managed to hold Ekwendeni to a goalless draw in regulation time before bowing out on penalties. One of their key players was youthful goalkeeper Nyasulu who kept two clean sheets and was the hero in their victory over Red Lions after saving two penalties in the shootout. His heroics saw him being called for the Flames AFCON preliminary squad, but he failed to join camp due to COVID-19
Discovery of the season
Name: Zebron Kalima
Position: Midfielder
Club: Silver Strikers
Number of games Played: 3
Number of games started: 3
Total Number of Minutes played: 270
Man of the match awards: 1
Before the 2021 season, Kalima was playing for Silver Strikers Reserves and was called to the main team to fill the gap after Duncan Nyoni joined Tanzanian giants Simba FC. He was one of the outstanding players for Silver Strikers starting three of the five matches, including the final. He was on fire in the final match and was named man-of-the-match as Silver Strikers beat Ekwendeni Hammers 2-0. His performance in the FDH Bank Cup has elevated the youngster as one of the key players for the bankers and he made his way into the Flames squad for 2021 AFCON in Cameroun.
Source: FAM
