Love him or hate him but Silver Strikers eccentric striker, Khuda Muyaba, led on all fronts last campaign; emerging as the top scorer overall in TNM Super League, Airtel Top 8 and Fisd Challenge Cup.
Muyaba scored 24 goals in 31 games across all competitions last season, followed by Hassan Kajoke of Nyasa Big Bullets (18 goals), Be Forward Wanderers’ Babatunde Adepojue (15), Silver’s Michael Tetteh (14) and Micium Mhone of Blue Eagles with 13 goals.
Khuda broke a record of over 14 years to win the Super League Golden Boot award with 21 goals, having also scored twice in four Airtel Top 8 outings and once in three Fisd Challenge Cup assignments.
In reaction, Khuda, who missed some games due to ill-discipline last season, Friday said he pushed himself to realise his dream of winning the Golden Boot.
“Last season, my biggest challenger was myself because I told the general public that I would score 20 goals at the end of the season. I put myself under pressure. I knew that if I scored fewer goals, I was going to be a subject of ridicule,” the former Moyale Barracks forward said.
Asked about the toughest defender he faced last season, Khuda responded: “I scored when I felt like doing so, so there was no tough defender for me. If anything, the toughest defender was myself. I could have scored 30 league goals if I had not missed seven games [due to suspension].”
Silver Team Manager, Itai Nundwe, has since hailed Khuda for his sterling performance that helped the club win Airtel Top 8 last season.
The Bankers also finished on fourth place on the Super League log table with 53 points from 30 games, 17 points behind champions Bullets.
“He is a reliable striker; self-motivated. He works hard. What sets him apart is that he never gives up on scoring,” Nundwe said.
Khuda was followed by Kajoke who scored 17 league goals then once in Fisd, then Babatunde (15 league goals) and Mhone (12 in the league and once in Fisd Cup).
Khuda has matched the 24 goals Bullets chief striker Chiukepo Msowoya scored last season in all competitions (47 games including Caf Champions League) then followed by Zicco Mkanda of Wanderers’ 21.
Bullets were not involved in Airtel Top 8 but played in Fisd Cup games last season; hence, denying Kajoke an opportunity to score more goals in Airtel Top 8.
The Malawian striker fared strongly when compared to their counterparts across the borders.
For example, Cameroonian Bienvenu Eva Nga emerged as the Golden Boot award winner for Mozambique’s Mocambola league with 24 league goals in the 2019 season.
In Zimbabwe, Platinum FC’s Rodwell Chinyengetere was the top scorer with 17 goals in the 2018 season. The 2018/2019 season is underway in Zimbabwe.
Across the borders, Idris Mbobo (Nkana Rangers) was the Golden Boot award winner in the Zambia top-flight league with 21 goals.
