Many soccer pundits have compared the battle between Mighty Mukuru Wanderers and Santhe Admarc in the 2023 FDH Bank Cup quarterfinals at Kamuzu Stadium Saturday afternoon to the fable of David and Goliath.
Surely, the biblical story about David and Goliath is not new.
For starters, David smote Goliath with a stone and prevailed over him.
Giant slayers Santhe will be hoping to cause another upset in the competition when they face star-studded Wanderers.
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On paper, the odds are stacked against the Chipiku League Premier Division side as there is a big gap between them and Wanderers in terms of class and quality.
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Honestly, Wanderers have quality in abundance compared to Santhe, whose squad value cannot even match the most expensive player in domestic football, Gaddie Chirwa.
But this afternoon, the giant slayers have a chance to write another piece of history.
So far, Santhe are the only second-tier league side to reach the quarterfinals of the competition, dubbed Pachema.
Santhe knocked out two TNM Super League sides Mighty Tigers and Kamuzu Barracks on post-match penalties.
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This is the first meeting between Wanderers and Santhe.
Wanderers Coach Mark Harrison warned his troops against complacency.
“We do not know the opposition well. Obviously, it will not be an easy match. We should not underrate them and we have to do our job properly,” Harrison said.
Wanderers will be without striker Christopher Kumwembe due to injury but all the players are available for selection in today’s match.
Santhe Coach Alick Zulu said they are in Blantyre on a serious mission.
“We are not here to see Blantyre but for serious business. We are underdogs, yes, but we have a big heart. As such, Wanderers should not underrate us,” Zulu said.
Zulu will rely on Gift Mashon, Alex Dzimbiri and Chikumbutso Sabilika.
The winner between Wanderers and Santhe will face Mafco in the semi-finals on September 3 at a venue to be announced.
The other semi-final will involve holders FCB Nyasa Bullets and Dedza Dynamos Salima Sugar on September 2 at Kamuzu Stadium.
On their way to the semi-finals, Bullets ousted Extreme FC 4-2 on post-match penalties after 1-1 stalemate in regulation time.
For Dedza, they defeated Moyale Barracks 3-2 on post-match penalties at Dedza Stadium.
