Silver Strikers travel to Karonga for the second leg of the Airtel Top 8 Cup quarterfinal against Karonga United at Karonga Stadium on Sunday, July 12. The Bankers head into the match following a goalless draw against Chitipa United in the FDH Bank Premiership.
The Area 47 side has spent close to 10 days in Chitipa in preparation for this match.
Current Form:
Having lost their previous league match 3-1 to Goshen City Dedza Dynamos at Karonga Stadium, Karonga United will go into the match eager to return to winning ways. Silver Strikers, on the other hand, return to action following a frustrating goalless away draw against Chitipa United.
Silver Strikers are currently fourth on the FDH Bank Premiership table, having collected 18 points from nine games, registering five wins, one loss and three draws, while Karonga United are 13th with nine points from the same number of matches, having recorded two wins, four losses and three draws.
Head-to-Head:
Silver Strikers and Karonga United have met twice in the Airtel Top 8 Cup, with the Central Bankers emerging victorious on both occasions. Their first meeting dates back to June 29, 2019, when the two sides faced each other in the tournament’s final at Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe. Khuda Muyaba scored the lone goal to hand the Bankers their second Airtel Top 8 title after winning the inaugural edition in 2017.
The second meeting came on June 14 this year when the two sides met in the first leg of the quarterfinal at Silver Stadium. A first-half brace from Charles Chipala handed the Central Bankers a 2-0 advantage going into the return leg.
Silver Strikers have scored three goals against Karonga United in the Airtel Top 8 Cup and have kept clean sheets in both meetings.
Team News:
This week, Felix Dumakude is the only one to miss the Sunday action as he is still in rehabilitation back in Lilongwe. Nickson Mwase and Eric Astigah are back to full fitness as they are available for selection on Sunday.
What’s at Stake:
Silver Strikers head into the match looking to book a place in the Airtel Top 8 semi-finals while keeping alive their pursuit of a third title in the competition. Holding a 2-0 advantage from the first leg, the Central Bankers will also be looking to maintain their dominance over Karonga United.
For Karonga United, the match presents a chance to overturn the first-leg deficit and keep their hopes of reaching the semi-finals alive.
Ticket Information:
Standard Ticket: K8,000
VIP: K15,000
