Three derbies are set to explode this coming weekend in all the three regions as the TNM Super League enters the third week.
Setting the pace on Saturday will be old-age rivals Nyasa Big Bullets and Be Forward Wanderers at Kamuzu Stadium in Blantyre.
On Sunday, Civo United will host their capital city rivals Silver Strikers at Civo Stadium whereas in Mzuzu, Moyale will face Mzuni at Mzuzu Stadium.
The scales are tipped in Bullets favour as they have not lost to the Nomads in a league match for the past three seasons.
Last season, the People’s Team won both games so too in 2014, but the two teams settled for draws during the 2013 season.
Interestingly, both teams have four points each.
Bullets played out a goalless draw against Moyale Barracks in their opening fixture before registering their first win against Red Lions (2-1) last Sunday while the Nomads beat Silver 2-1 before being held to a one-all draw by Dwangwa United.
Bullets outspoken technical director Billy Tewesa set the tempo for the derby when he indirectly predicted a win for his team.
“All I can say is that we will celebrate after the match,” he said.
But Nomads team manager Stevie Madeira was cautious in his pre-match comment saying: “We have so much respect for Bullets because of their rich history, but respect does not mean we fear them. We are looking forward to a good game and we have told our players to go out there and give their all and we know they will not disappoint.”
Bullets will be welcoming back their talisman Chiukepo Msowoya, defender Pilirani Zonda and midfielder MacFarlen Ngwira from injury. The trio has not played since the league kicked off.
On the other hand, the Nomads will also be boosted by the return of winger Isaac ‘Tcheya’ Kaliati who missed both their opening games.
Apart from Kaliati, the Nomads will bank their hopes on Nigerian Amos Bello—who has shown a lot of promise—Jabulani Linje, Peter Wadabwa and Luka Milanzi while Bullets will look up to former Nomads key forward Muhammad Sulumba, Dalitso Sailesi and Yamikani Fodya.
In the Lilongwe derby, Silver will have to pull up their socks having lost both their first two games.
But their assistant coach Lovemore Fazili said they will turn the corner and expect to get a positive result this time around.
“We have a number of new young players and they are still in the process of gelling, but we will recover,” he said.
Civo go into this match fresh from their 3-2 win over last season’s runners-up Mafco and their coach Milias Pofera Jegwe says they are looking forward to continuing with their good run.
