Be Forward Wanderers and Masters Security are two teams with one common denominator. They will be the only teams to fly the Malawi flag in Confederation of African Football’s (Caf) two club competitions next year.
Wanderers were paired against the Democratic Republic of Congo’s AC Vita in the Caf Champions League’s preliminary round, while Masters will play Angola’s Atletico Petroleos in the competition’s second tier, the Confederations Cup.
But at Balaka Stadium this afternoon, the two will set aside the one major factor that unites them and bay for each other’s blood as they aim at garnering full points in their TNM Super League match.
Wanderers will go into this encounter in search for maximum points to seal their league title challenge with one game to spare.
Masters, on the other hand, will have to sweat for victory to be assured of participation in the top-flight league next season.
Defeat for the Lilongwe-based side means giving ill-fated Premier Bet Wizards the lifeline in their league survival campaign.
Masters need just three points to be assured of safety, but they have made life difficult for themselves following a run of three consecutive defeats at the hands of Red Lions, Blantyre United and Civil Sporting Club.
Head Coach Abbas Makawa knows a fourth straight defeat to Wanderers is going to put his side’s survival chances on a knife’s edge.
After facing their fellow Caf-bound side, Masters will remain with Kamuzu Barracks and Nyasa Big Bullets on their to-do list and that should give Makawa sleepless nights.
The Masters mentor also has to ensure that his top striker Vincent Nyangulu, rediscovers his scoring form after going three games without finding the net.
“We are in a very difficult situation, but we have a plan on how to come out of this. We must get the three points, come what may. We have to treat this game with total care,” Makawa said.
His Nomads counterpart, Yasin Osman, said he would love to see his charges bagging the title today, to kill off last day pressure against Red Lions.
Wanderers are on the brink of landing their first league title since 2006 following their 3-1 victory over resilient Mzuni last Sunday at Civo Stadium in Lilongwe.
Osman will expect forward Peter Wadabwa, winger Yamikani Chester and playmaker Joseph Kamwendo to repeat the damage they inflicted on Mzuni last week.
“We are closer [to the promised land], but we are not there yet. So it is good to wrap it against Masters today. We do not have to wait for the final day,” Osman said.
Wanderers’ bitter rivals, Bullets are away at Chitowe to play Dwangwa United, while Wizards are up north to face relegated Chitipa United at Karonga Stadium.
Mzuni will be looking to recover from last weekend’s defeat to Wanderers when they travel to Chilomoni Stadium in Blantyre to take on Blantyre United.
In the Capital City, it will be a clash of giants as Kamuzu Barracks host Silver Strikers at Civo Stadium.
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