Escom, Silver coaches in mind games ahead of title decider
Malawi’s flagship TNM Super League will be decided on Saturday in a three-horse race but the Escom United and Silver Strikers crunch tie will be the main focus on the title decider.
Charles Manda, head coach of Escom who seek to defend the title, has blown the dust off his manual on how to defend the title, thumbed through the well-used pages, stopped at the chapter called “Mind Games” and put them to work ahead of the encounter with Escom.
Manda said the pressure was on Silver to win the title while his side has weathered the entire storm which could have hampered their preparations for the match.
“We are ready to defend the title. The campaign has been successful, it has been a long way but we want to add icing on the cake by confirming our title defense against a team like Silver,” said Manda.
He said the Saturday match will provide much entertainment to Blantyre soccer lovers.
“Our players will go there to enjoy the greatest moment. No pressure, no panic. What a great opportunity to stamp our authority on Malawian football map,” he added.
Escom United players resumed training on Tuesday January 24, 2012 at Moneymen football ground after a one week boycott.
The players were boycotting training due to unpaid allowances approximately to over K80, 000 each player. The players even threatened to boycott Saturday’s match against the Bankers.
However, a visit by Nyasa Times at their training ground at Money Men revealed that everything has been sorted out and they resumed trained.
“Everything is water under the bridge and our focus now is on Saturday’s game with Silver,” said Manda.
However, the Bankers assistant coach Hellings Mwakasungula said the title will not be won by mind games.
“Words are not important. Our focus is the match and Silver will do the talking on the pitch,”£ said Mwakasungura.
“We have one objective, to beat them and whisk the title away to Lilongwe in Area 47. We know it will be a tough match since our friends have home ground advantage but in a game of football anything can happen,” said Mwakasungula.
Another focus for the title run will be Mighty ‘Nyerere’ Wanderers match against Moyale Barracks in Mzuzu.
The Nomads need to beat Moyale and pray that Silver and Escom hold each other for a draw to take the title to Lali Lubani road.
The Nomads team manager Mac Hodges Chunga has vowed “total war” in Mzuzu.
“We are not going to Mzuzu on holiday but to collect maximum three points. We know Moyale has been superior in the last three meetings with us but this time around we will do anything to stop them because we are still in contention for the title,” said Chunga.
In the last three meetings the soldiers pruned the Nomads 3-0 before beating them again 1-0 in the Standard bank home and away. In the first round of the league, Moyale also whipped Wanderers 1-0.
Moyale Barracks mentor Nicolas Mhango has insisted that they will continue where they stopped in their last meeting in the Standard Bank.
“I have always been telling you that there is no way Wanderers can beat us in Mzuzu. We want to finish the league on a better position and a win is a mast for us,” said Mhango.
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