Soccer giants in verbal tirades ahead of Carlsberg Cup clashes
Exchange of words has erupted between the country’s four football giants ahead of the K20 million Carlsberg Cup make or break weekend clashes.
But come Saturday evening two of the big four- Silver Strikers, Big Bullets, Mighty Wanderers and Red Lions- will have cheerlessly missed the lip-smacking prizes as well as individual honours.
Silver Strikers are in the commercial city to face Bullets FC at the Kamuzu Stadium on Saturday while Wanderers travel to the country’s old capital city, Zomba to rock horns with the soldiers, Red Lions.
Strikers’ Chairman Dr Mafuta Mwale has vowed to upset the table against the Peoples’ Team with a 3-0 margin victory.
“We are not in Blantyre on holiday but on a slaughtering mission. Last time we played Bullets at Kamuzu Stadium, if you remember the referee was on their side, and this time we just pray that we will have good officiation,” said Mwale.
The chairman said the area 47 outfit was vomiting confidence particularly with the roping in of their two former players, Stain Chirwa and Francis Songo, as care taker coaches.
“We have the confidence at the end of 90 minutes we will cruise to the next phase,” declared, Mwale whose team is coming straight from a 1-0 defeat by Blue Eagles last Saturday.
The Bankers will deposit their hopes in their match-matcher, Frank Banda, to supply crisp crosses to Chawanangwa Kawonga and Asedi Ayami to collapse the Bullets defence likely to be guided George Nyirenda and assisted by Douglas Chirambo and Sankhani Mkandawire.
On the other hand, Bullets FC General Secretary, Higger Mkandawire, while counterattacking Mwale’s sentiments reminded him that Kamuzu Stadium was a no-go-zone for the capital city giants.
“We will do the talking on the pitch and Silver are aware of what Bullets does at Kamuzu Stadium. My only message to them is to come fully prepared because we will gun them down without mercy,” said Mkandawire.
The Peoples Team, also smarting from a 0-1 defeat by EPAC FC last Saturday at the same venue, will rely much on the services of their terminator James Chilapondwa and Chimango Kayira to keep the engine room boiling while their talisman, Gabadihno Mhango and Diverson Mlozi will be fighting to kiss the back of Charles Swini’s net.
The battle in the prestigious trophy continues Sunday when the attention
will shift to Zomba Community Ground where Mighty Wanderers have an uphill task to boot out Red Lions.
Nomads’ General Secretary, David Kanyenda, has vowed to feast on the Lions despite playing in front of hundreds of their followers.
“We already beat them in Balaka [league game] and come Sunday we will feast on the Lions again,” vowed Kanyenda.
The Nomads’ outspoken secretary further insisted his team, which ended Lions’ unbeaten league record, was fully geared to oust the soldiers from the cup.
“We are still at pains with how they showed us an exit door in the Presidential Cup in Blantyre and let me tell them that this will be
our sweet revenge,” boasted the flamboyant secretary.
The Wanderers camp will be welcoming back its lion-heartened left back Francis Mlimbika, who was serving yellow card ban and Wongani Kaipa who had reportedly resigned out of frustrations.
However, Red Lions Coach, Mike Kumanga, answered the Nomads’ threat in few words: “The Nomads will be in for it.”
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