Eagle’s win will narrow gap from league leaders

The Area 30-based Cops, Blue Eagles have a chance to cut the gap with table-toppers, Nyasa Big Bullets to just 2 points this weekend as they welcome the relegation threatened Sable Farming at Nankhaka ground.

The Eliya Kananji’s men are currently holding the second place with 56 points from 27 games while Kalisto Pasuwa’s boys have 61 points from 26 games. This keeps Blantyre giants 5 points afloat the Cops but the gap might be reduced should Eagles beat Sable Farming who are hunting for points as they are battling for their survival in the Elite League.

As Eagles are fulfilling their league assignment, Bullets are starting their job to defend the Airtel Top 8 Cup with a home game against Karonga United at Kamuzu Stadium before playing a second leg in Karonga.

A win for Eagles will take them to 59 points and they could be able to pile up pressure on to Bullets who only need 4 points from their remaining four games to defend the league title.

However, a win over Sable Farming could not come as a bonus as the Chiradzulu-based farmers though lacking consistency, have the capability to cause an upset.

Eagles are heading into the fixture against the 14th placed side from a convincing 1-0 victory over Mighty Mukuru Wanderers on Saturday last weekend.

The Policemen have won two of their last 5 games, beating Dedza Dynamos and Mighty Mukuru Wanderers, drawing against Nyasa Big Bullets and losing to Kamuzu Barracks and Ekwendeni Hammers.

Sable are coming from a 2-1 victory over TN Stars and another win this weekend is obviously at their stake to heighten their chances of survival but they have won three games in their last six games.

They beat Karonga United, Rumphi United and TN Stars and suffering defeats to Nyasa Big Bullets, Kamuzu Barracks and Mafco FC.

In the first round, Eagles escaped with a narrow 2-1 win at Mpira Stadium in game that Osward Maonga scored a belter before Emmanuel Lino cancelled it but Schumacker Kuwali scored the winner.

𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐠𝐮𝐞

It is going to be the very important week for Sable Farming who are on number 14 with 24 points from 27 games as they are having two crucial games with Eagles on Saturday before taking on Silver Strikers 24 hours later.

They are hunting for survival and they are 4 points behind the 13th placed Red Lions who have played one game more but getting maximum points in the Central Region will see them leapfrogging the Zomba-based Soldiers who have been exempted from games this week.

Coach for the team, Macdonald Mtetemera who was tasked to save the team when replacing Joseph Malizani said Sable Farming need to show their quality by collecting maximum points from the Central Region.

“We are travelling to play two games [playing against Blue Eagles and Silver Strikers]. They are toughest games but these are the games that we need to show that we are Sables. We are capable and i think will be very entertaining games. They might look very crucial when we look on the log table [one is on number two while one is on 5]. But they can also lose. We need to win such games to show the nation that we can do much better.

“We have done quite a lot of homework, we have have conceded silly goals some weeks ago and we corrected these mistakes and we beat TN Stars. We have to play our usual game, our normal game and I believe the trend will continue.

“We need to focus, concentrate and we need to be determined. I told the boys that once we score a goal, we should not conceded and if we are not scoring, we should not concede and with their response, I believe that we might game maximum points this weekend, ” said Mtetemera.

𝐄𝐚𝐠𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

Blue Eagles are 5 points and 6 points above Kamuzu Barracks and Mighty Mukuru Wanderers respectively and a win against Sable will place them at an advantage of finishing the league on number 2 and also going closer to the leaders.

Assistant coach for the team, Christopher Sibale said they are eager to beat Sable so that they maintain their position.

“We are very prepared for the game,” he told the team’s media crew. There is no simple thing in Super League, so we are preparing to play Sable not the Sable that people are knowing on the paper. We have to be very cautious, as you know where the league is going because collecting maximum points is tough. The approach is that we are facing a tough opponents. It is a crucial game because we really need three points looking on the log table and we need to maintain our position.”

𝐆𝐨𝐭𝐨𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞

Striker, Christopher Gototo who left Sable Farming to join Eagles is going to have a feisty reunion with his former team.

He left the Chiradzulu-based farmers after scoring four goals and he remains the Club’s top goal-scorer despite last playing for the team back in the first round.

However, since the move to the police headquarters, Gototo has failed to break into Kananji’s starting Xi as Kananji prefers to build a multidimensional, hard-pressing attack over a goalscorer who does not offer enough in general play.

Gaddie Chirwa, Schumacker Kuwali, Micium Mhone and Richard Rapson have been the pillars for Eagles upfront in their search for goals. They swap positions, run defenders ragged and play with imagination and skill.

Perhaps he may get minutes against his former side.