Rachael Kaphaizi & Frank Mojah Dzuwa
The opening three matches of the second round of the FDH Bank Premiership have brought contrasting fortunes for the 16 teams. Dedza Dynamos have improved, while MAFCO have suffered three consecutive defeats.
The results also show how teams have fared compared with their opening three matches of the first round. Some have maintained their momentum, while others have struggled for consistency.
Dedza have turned a difficult first-round start into an unbeaten run, collecting five points from draws against Civil Service United and Moyale Barracks and a 1-0 victory over Masters FC. In contrast, MAFCO have lost all three of their second-round matches without scoring. In the first round, they drew twice and lost once.
Mitundu Baptist have also made a promising start, beating MAFCO 2-0 and drawing against Kamuzu Barracks and Red Lions.
FCB Nyasa Big Bullets have maintained their strong form, winning all three matches in both rounds. After collecting seven points from their first three games, they beat Blue Eagles 2-0, MAFCO 3-0 and Civil Service United 1-0 in the second round.
Mighty Wanderers have also remained competitive, collecting seven points from their second-round matches. They beat Silver Strikers and Creck Sporting Club 1-0 and drew 1-1 with Karonga United.
Ekhaya FC have improved after going winless in their first three matches, beating Kamuzu Barracks and Blue Eagles and drawing with Red Lions. Creck Sporting Club have also improved, beating Moyale Barracks and Red Lions, though they lost to Wanderers.
Red Lions, meanwhile, have drawn all three of their second-round matches after opening the first round with two draws and a victory over Dedza.
Blue Eagles have lost momentum after winning their first three matches of the season. In the second round, they beat Chitipa United 3-0 but lost to Bullets and Ekhaya. Silver Strikers have also struggled to maintain their opening-round form, collecting four points from their matches against Wanderers, Moyale and Kamuzu Barracks.
Masters FC, who won all three of their first-round games, have recorded one win, one draw and one defeat in the second round.
Civil Service United have also struggled, losing to Karonga and Bullets after drawing with Dedza. This follows a stronger first-round start, when they collected seven points. Kamuzu Barracks have drawn twice and lost once, while Karonga United have won, drawn, and lost. Moyale Barracks have collected one point from their opening three second-round games, while Chitipa United have taken four points from a win, a draw and a defeat.
Mighty Wanderers were the top scorers among the 16 teams in their first-round opening three matches, finding the net seven times. Karonga United conceded the most goals, letting in seven, while Silver Strikers also made an impressive attacking start, scoring six.
The second round has brought a shift in fortunes. Bullets lead the scoring charts, having netted six goals without conceding in their opening three matches. MAFCO, meanwhile, have lost all three games without scoring and conceded seven goals, underlining their struggles at both ends of the pitch.
Across the league, 106 goals were scored in the first round’s opening three matches, compared with 80 in the second round’s opening three. The total has fallen by 26 goals, pointing to a decline in scoring.
