When you see him don the sky blue and white, running through the Central Park of Silver Stadium, throwing tackles and winning loose balls, you may not immediately recognize him as one of the best.
If you don’t fully understand football, you might not appreciate his brilliance and importance to the team. It’s no surprise that he has played under every coach who’s come to Silver Strikers during his time.
For all the fans, this is the truth about Chikondi Kamanga: every match day, he is a fighter. And they never wonder why Kamanga has given his heart to the Bankers. It’s a match made in heaven.
But a memory of Kamanga’s transfer drama is one made for history books. And Wa Ganyu was there.
It all started in 2020, during a week that would become quite a rollercoaster for both Chikondi, his family and Mighty Wanderers where he spent his youth. And of course his father made history as a player.
On Wednesday, February 19, Wanderers heard rumour around Blantyre that Chikondi had travelled to Lilongwe.
According to the general secretary then, by Saturday, February 22, things escalated when Nomads were tipped-off that Silver Strikers were looking to sign the promising midfielder.
Wanderers acted quickly, rushing to Lilongwe where they staged a near-kidnapping scene. You may remember the Promise Kamwendo saga.
But as the negotiations went, it was clear that Chikondi had some grievances, and Wanderers promised to have these sorted out.
But the drama had just started. When news reached Chikondi’s father that his son had been picked up by Wanderers, he went straight to Limbe Police to report a kidnapping.
Likewise, Silver Strikers who were expecting the lad in Lilongwe rushed to the police as well to corroborate with Chikondi’s father.
The following Sunday, on 23 February, the situation reached its climax. Chikondi was found, rescued and returned to Silver Strikers, where, by 8pm, he put pen to paper on a 3-year deal, with his father proudly witnessing the moment.
On Monday, 24 February, Chikondi was unveiled alongside two other stellar signings by the Bankers at their offices in Lilongwe, putting to bed one of the most protracted transfers of the 2020 super league season transfers.
Fast forward four years, and Chikondi rose to captaincy at Silver Strikers. In a memorable match at Kamuzu Stadium in 2024, he led his team to 2 nil victory over Wanderers, and with that, piping them to the league title and ending a 13-year trophy drought for the Area 47 giants.
Now, with his name written in the Banker’s history, the question remains: What’s next for Chikondi Kamanga? Could there be a move to a bigger stage, or will he continue to build his legacy with the Reserve Bank sponsored side?
