Silver Strikers have secured their place in this year’s Airtel Top 8 final with a 1-0 victory over Mighty Mukuru Wanderers, thanks to Binwell Katinji’s 8th-minute goal at Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe on Saturday.
Their opponents will be decided on Sunday, as FCB Nyasa Big Bullets and Kamuzu Barracks face off at the same venue.
Katinji capitalised on a through ball from Chinsinsi Maonga, and this contribution earned him a Man of the Match accolade, in the game that was played under floodlights.
In the first-half, Silver Strikers started strong, with early possession in the Wanderers’ half where they maintained pressure, creating multiple chances and dominating possession.
Wanderers, however, slowly worked their way back into the game.
In the 18th minute, Isaac Kaliati aimed for an equaliser with a long-range effort, though it narrowly missed the target.
Despite several corner opportunities, Wanderers struggled to convert and finished the half trailing 0-1.
The second half saw both teams continue their offensive approaches.
Maonga had two close attempts to extend Silver’s lead, but Chipuwa’s resilience in goal kept Wanderers in the game.
Wanderers’ coach Meke Mwase introduced Felix Zulu to inject more pace, while Silver’s coach Peter Mponda substituted Uchizi Vunga with Patrick Macheso to freshen up the midfield.
In the 76th minute, Silver Strikers were reduced to ten men after Nickson Mwase received a second yellow card for a foul on Thierry Tanjong Sama.
Mponda responded tactically, substituting Macheso with Levison Maganizo to reinforce the midfield and maintain their lead.
Despite Wanderers’ best efforts to capitalise on the numerical advantage, Silver’s defence held firm until the final whistle.
In post-match comments, Silver Strikers’ coach, Peter Mponda, expressed mixed feelings.
“I’m happy with the result, but not fully satisfied with our overall gameplay,” he said. “In the second half, we were under pressure, but I thank the boys for their fighting spirit.”
Reflecting on the red card, Mponda explained, “I made changes to try to counter-attack, which worked, but we couldn’t find the target.”
On the other side, Wanderers’ coach, Meke Mwase, pointed to the early goal as a persistent issue.
“Conceding early has been a problem for us lately. I don’t know what’s going wrong,” he admitted.
“The red card gave us an advantage, but Silver’s defence was solid. Now, our focus shifts to the league and our remaining cup.”
The two teams met on Saturday night after Silver Strikers earned their semi-final spot by defeating Premier Bet Dedza Dynamos 6-2 on aggregate, while Wanderers battled through tooth and nail, securing their place with a 4-2 penalty shootout win over Bangwe All Stars after a 1-1 draw on aggregate.
The result means Wanderers have lost all their encounters against Silver Strikers in this tournament.
In 2017, they were defeated 10-9 on penalties after a 0-0 draw in regular time.
In 2019, Silver won 1-0 and in 2023, Silver advanced 4-0 on aggregate after Wanderers faced penalties from Football Association of Malawi for bringing the game into disrepute, abandoning and boycotting their matches.
