The growing rivalry between Silver Strikers Football Club and FCB Nyasa Bullets comes to life this afternoon at the Bingu National Stadium as the two sides clash as part of the K320 million Castle Cup launch.

Silver have a score to settle after coming out on the losing side during  the two sides’ match as part of Kamuzu Day’s celebrations match last month.

Bullets assistant coach Peter Mponda, in a pre-match interview, said there is nothing like a friendly match when they meet Silver.

He, however, said the pressure will be on the Central Bankers.

Mponda has taken charge of the team follwoing the absence of head coach Kallisto Pasuwa who has travelled to his homeland Zimbabwe.

Mponda: There is no friendly in football

“We are not taking this game lightly as we want to protect the Nyasa and FCB brands.

“But the pressure will be on Silver who we defeated in the Kamuzu Day’s celebrations match.

“We have a healthy squad apart from Ernest Petro and Nickson Mwase who are yet to recover from injuries. We are going to Lilongwe to win.”

The Central Bankers, too, will be without head coach Pieter de Jongh who has also travelled.

But in an interview team manager Young Chimodzi Junior said they are set for the match..

“We know it’s the launch of the K320 million Castle Challenge, but we are prepared. We are taking it seriously like we always take any other game. All players are available apart from those with the national team and two who are injured.

Castel Malawi, formerly Carlsberg Malawi, is returning to sponsor football after withdrawing Carlsberg Cup sponsorship in 2019.

The national champion will get K50 million while the runners-up will get K25 million.

The semi-finalists will get K10 million each while quarter-finalists will get K5 million each.

The competition will start at district level where 31 district champions will receive K750 000 each while 17 teams that will qualify from the regional level will get K1 million each.

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