Silver Strikers celebrate winning the league title. Photo Credit: Silver Strikers Media.
The elite TNM Super League winds up on Saturday in Malawi with Silver Strikers just waiting for the coronation as champions but down the table, it is a case of swim or sink.
Up the table, the championship race ended with three games to go when the leaders Silver beat second-placed Mighty Mukuru Wanderers 1-0 courtesy of defender McDonald Lameck.
Therefore, the championship race is over and the only semblance of competition is for the bridesmaid battle between Wanderers (with 55 points) and third-placed FCB Nyasa Big Bullets (52 points).
Wanderers travel to Mzuzu to finish the season with Moyale Barracks FC whereas Bullets welcome Kamuzu Barracks FC in Blantyre.
If Wanderers lose away to Moyale and Bullets beat Kamuzu Barracks, the outgoing holders might end up displacing their Blantyre rivals from the runners-up place on goal aggregate. Elsewhere, Silver welcome Premier Bet Dedza Dynamos in Lilongwe.
However, the real battle is in the lower half of the table where league rules say three bottom finishers get relegated at the end of a season and are replaced by three regional champions for the second-tier league.
Therefore, three teams—FOMO United (28 points), Bangwe All-Stars (27 points) and Chitipa (26 points)—go into the final round of games against Karonga United, Creck Sporting FC and relegated Baka City aware it could be their last day in the top-tier league.
FOMO beat Silver 1-0 on Wednesday to end the unbeaten run for the champions-in-waiting. However, the Mulanje-based side is not yet safe. Elvis Kafoteka’s men can escape the chop with a draw but they need a win to be certain of another dance with Malawi’s finest last season.
On the other hand, Bangwe can only survive without any other result save for a win while Chitipa need to win and pray for the misfortunes of the other relegation candidates. Baka City are already relegated and they will be joined by two others in exiting the league which mobile service provider TNM sponsors.
TNM Super League Fixtures
Kick-Off@2:30pm
Silver Strikers v PremierBet Dedza Dynamos
Nyasa Big Bullets v Kamuzu Barracks
Moyale Barracks v Mighty Mukuru Wanderers
Baka City v Chitipa United
FOMO United v Karonga United
Mafco FC v Ekwendeni Hammers
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