Who draws K7m Standard Bank? Malawi giants Wanderers, Silver clash in cup final
The exciting journey in the K20 Million Standard Bank Cup comes to an end tomorrow, October 6, 2012 when central giants Silver Strikers and Blantyre based heavyweights Mighty Wanderers come face to face in the decisive encounter at Silver Stadium in Lilongwe.
There has been a lot of talk ahead of the final clash with the Nomads’ camp expressing serious reservations on the choice of Silver Stadium, the home of their final opponents as venue for the final but Football Association of Malawi has cleared the air, declaring that the stadium
in Lilongwe’s Area 47 will host the final.
The Wanderers’camp has since accepted to play the final at Silver, which also hosted the competition’s semi finals involving Wanderers and Big Bullets as well as Silver Strikers versus Civo United last weekend.
The Nomads defeated their traditional rivals 5-4 after post-match penalties with the bankers demolishing their city rivals 4-1.
While admitting Silver had a huge advantage playing at home, Wanderers’coach Felix Fosco said his team was ready for the showdown.
“We have prepared the way we have been preparing for the other games and if the boys do what we have been telling them,” I don’t see anything preventing us from taking the trophy to Blantyre,” said Fosco in a pre-match interview.
His counterpart Franco Ndawa, who was only booted out of the Nomads’ camp a couple of month ago said he was putting everything in the hands of God.
Asked if he considered it an advantage to play against a team he knew inside and out, Ndawa said: “I left Wanderers and I don’t know about their current system of play. I have been concentrating on my team and not Wanderers during training.”
Both coaches refused to predict the outcome of the final but neutral observes including Super League team coaches Alex Masanjala for Civo and Moyale Barracks’ Themba Ntontholo have tipped Silver to grab the trophy, owing to their free-scoring record.
Striker Rodrick Gonani is the man to watch for the bankers in the final while the Nomads’ will pin their hopes on Flames’ midfielder Joseph Kamwendo.
The competition involved top eight teams from the 2011/12 TNM Super League season and after mouthwatering clashes in the Top 8 knock out phase and semi finals, the two giants have emerged as hottest contenders for the K7 Million fat cheque in store for the champions.
Losing finalists will not be left out in the cold as they will be receiving a K3 million cheque from the bank.
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