Football Association of Malawi has released a list of nominees for the 2023 FDH Bank Cup players’ awards.
The four awards up for grabs are the Player of the Tournament, Discovery of the Tournament, Best Goalkeeper, and Top goal scorer.
The latter was already claimed by FCB Nyasa Big Bullets striker Hassan Kajoke who scored four goals.
Bullets midfielder Patrick Mwaungulu, Mafco Defender Paul Ndhlovu and Dedza Dynamos striker Clement Nyondo will compete for the Player of the Tournament.
Super sub-Ephraim Kondowe of Bullets, Santhe goalkeeper Zahaya Malithano and Extreme goalkeeper Mclean Mwale have been nominated for the Discovery of the Tournament award.
The three nominees for the goalkeeper of the tournament are Malithano, Mighty Mukuru Wanderers stopper William Thole and Rabson Chiyenda of Bullets.
The winners will be crowned at a special ceremony to be hosted by the sponsors FDH Bank at a date to be confirmed in due course.
According to FAM Competitions and Communications Director Gomezgani Zakazaka, the Competitions Technical Study group produced the nominations after analyzing the Competitions statistics.
Zakazaka said a selected group of coaches under the National Coaches Association, who were responsible for selecting Player of the Match in the competition and some football journalists will vote for the awards.
Below are Briefs on the Nominees
Player of the Tournament
Name: Patrick Mwaungulu
Position: Midfielder
Club: FCB Nyasa Big Bullets
Number of games Played: 5
Number of games started: 5
Total Minutes played: 435
Player of the Match: 3
Goals: 2
Assists: 6
Mwaungulu was one of the few ever-present members as FCB Nyasa Big Bullets defended the FDH Bank Cup. He started all the five matches and played four full matches. He won three Player of the Match awards including the final against MAFCO. He was involved in 8 of Bullets 13 goals in the competition, scoring two and assisting 6.
Name: Paul Ndhlovu
Position : Defender
Club: MAFCO
Number of games Played: 5
Number of games started: 5
Total Minutes played: 442
Player of the Match: 1
Goals: 1
MAFCO had one of their best runs in a cup competition in recent year as they reached their first Cup final in 10 years. At the heart of this memorable campaign was captain Paul Ndhlovu who led the team at the back and joined the team in lethal counterattacks. He was the hero in the semifinal as his only goal helped MAFCO beat Mighty Wanderers to set up a final against Bullets which they lost 3-0.
Name: Clement Nyondo
Position: Striker
Club: Dedza Dynamos
Number of games Played: 3
Number of games started: 3
Total Minutes played: 268
Goals: 2
Player of the Match: 2
Dedza Dynamos reached the last four of a national cup for the first time and Clement Nyondo was the driving force for the team. The Super League leading scorer proved that his form in the league is not just a fluke with some inspiring performances in the FDH Bank Cup. He scored two goals and won two Player of the Match awards in three games.
Goalkeeper of the Tournament
Name: William Thole
Position: Goalkeeper
Club: Mighty Mukuru Wanderers
Number of games Played: 4
Number of games started:4
Total Number of Minutes played: 360
Cleansheets: 2
Mighty Mukuru Wanderers were looking for their first FDH Bank Cup trophy but the dream was never realised. They were stopped in the semifinals by MAFCO. However, keeper William Thole had a good tournament keeping two clean sheets in four matches
Name: Zahaya Malithano
Position: Goalkeeper
Club: Santhe Admarc
Number of games Played: 3
Number of games started: 3
Total Number of Minutes played: 450
Clean sheets: 1
Player of the Match awards: 2
Unlike the 2021 edition which saw a non-Super League team reach the final with another bowing out in the semifinal this year’s was short of David vs Goliath upsets. Central Region Football League side Santhe Admarc was the only Non- Super League side that produced wonders, beating two Super League giants Mighty Tigers and Kamuzu Barracks in round of 32 and round of 16 respectively, en route to the quarterfinal where they lost to Mighty Mukuru Wanderers. The main man behind their two famous victories was keeper Zahaya Malithano who produced Player of the Match displays in both games. With the two games decided on spot kicks, Malithano rose to occasions and saved two penalties in each match to guide Santhe to the last eight.
Name: Rabson Chienda
Position: Goalkeeper
Club: FCB Nyasa Big Bullets
Number of games Played: 2
Number of games started: 2
Total Number of Minutes played: 180
Clean sheets: 1
A clean sheet in the final against MAFCO and another solid display in the semifinal made Chienda to be relevant where it mattered most as Bullets defended the title.
Discovery of the season
Name: Ephraim Kondowe
Position: Striker
Club: FCN Nyasa Big Bullets
Number of games Played: 4
Number of games started: 1
Total Number of Minutes played: 200
Goals: 2
Kondowe is enjoying the limelight a super sub for the People’s Team , coming from the bench and scoring vital goals. Just last season he was at Bullets’ rival camp where he was offloaded before showing his potential. Bullets took him on board and their gamble is paying off. In the quarterfinal Bullets looked dead and buried as they trailed Extreme 1-0 for the better part of the match. Kondowe came off the bench to score the equalizer in the 89th minute and Bullets went on to win on penalties. He got his only start in the competition in the final and scored the third goal that put the game beyond MAFCO.
Name: Mclean Mwale
Position: Goalkeeper
Club: Extreme FC
Number of games Played: 2
Number of games started: 2
Total Number of Minutes played:180
Player of the Match awards: 2
Cleansheets: 2
Mwale played the first two matches for Extreme in round of 64 and 32 simply because first choice goalkeeper was not available for selection in goals. But he grabbed the opportunity with both hands and delivered. Statistics don’t lie. Two matches, two cleans sheets two Player of the Match awards for a reserve keeper got Mwale noticed.
Name: Zahaya Malithano
Position: Goalkeeper
Club: Santhe Admarc
Number of games Played: 3
Number of games started: 3
Total Number of Minutes played: 450
Clean sheets: 1
Player of the match awards: 2
