To dare is to do. Silver Strikers interim coach Etison Kadenge Mwafulirwa believes his charges can upset Young Africans (Yanga) when they clash in the 2025-26 Caf Champions League second preliminary round first leg match at Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe this afternoon.
This promises to be Silver’s biggest test in the Caf Champions League.
The odds are stacked against Silver as they do not have enough experience in the competition.
Additionally, there is a big gulf in terms of class and quality between the two sides.
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Yanga boast of the best talent from across the continent whereas Silver have a squad comprising local based players only.
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But this afternoon, Silver tap from a biblical story of David and Goliath. The fable is not new as David smote Goliath with a stone and prevailed over him.
The Central Bankers need to be brave and show great character to overcome the Tanzanian Premier Soccer League champions.
A win for Silver would be a big statement in their mission for first ever Caf Champions’ League group stage qualification.
A draw or a loss at home, would be a big blow for Silver ahead of the second leg slated for next week Saturday in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
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Kadenge has told his charges not to give too much respect to Yanga.
“In life, when you are walking, you find that there is a lion in front of you, so you have to fight or to fright. The moment you decide to fight, the nerves will tell the body to fight. We know it is a tough assignment but we are prepared to face them. We need to be on top of the game,” Kadenge said.
But Kadenge said his charges need to double their efforts to match Yanga.
“We are playing against a big team. We know the type of the team we are playing, very strong guys, matured and quality players. So, we have to go to another level to match them,” Kadenge said.
Silver have several experienced players who have played at the big stage.
Players such as goalkeeper George Chikooka, defenders Maxwell Paipi, Nickson Mwase, Stain Davie, Ernest Petro and Binwell Katinji have been in such situations before.
Yanga, on the other hand, need to dig deeper into their resolve to get a positive result.
They appear to have done their homework well having recruited Malawian Patrick Mabedi as an assistant to coach Romain Folz.
Folz said his charges were ready for the battle.
“We did our best during the international break. We play our games at the same level of commitment with seriousness and this game is not different,” the former Amazulu coach said.
He said they know the threat Silver pose.
“We know everything and the history of the team. We have our expectations as a club and we are ready to exceed them,” he said.
Yanga have Pacome Zouzoua (Ivory Coast), Djigui Diarra and Lassine Kouma (Mali), Celestine Ecua (Chad), Moussa Balla Conte (Guinea), Prince Dube (Zimbabwe) and Duke Abuya (Kenya) in their squad.
Silver reached the second round after eliminating ASSM Elgeco Plus from Madagascar on away goal rule following a 1-1 stalemate on aggregate.
Yanga triumphed 5-0 on aggregate over Williete Benguela from Angola.
The overall winner between Silver and Yanga will qualify for the group stage.
