Football Association of Malawi has released a list of nominees for the 2023 Castel Challenge Cup individual 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 will be shared by six players who tied at five goals and these are Peter Kasonga and Mphatso Philemon of MAFCO, Emmanuel Saviel of Bangwe All Stars, Mighty Mukuru Wanderers striker Chiukepo Msowoya, Moyale Barracks forward Gastin Simkonda and Patrick Macheso of Silver Strikers.
FCB Nyasa Big Bullets strikers Hassan Kajoke and Lanjesi Nkhoma and Silver Strikers midfielder Patrick Macheso will compete for the Player of the Tournament award.
Saviel and his teammate defender Talandila Chigaula and Chitipa United left back Grem Lemela have been nominated for the Discovery of the Tournament award.
The three nominees for the goalkeeper of the tournament are Rahman John of Bangwe All Stars, Silver Strikers stopper Pilirani Mapira and Richard Chimbamba of Bullets.
The winners will be crowned at a special ceremony to be hosted by the sponsors Castel Malawi on 21st February 2023 in Blantyre.
According to FAM Competitions and Communications Director Gomezgani Zakazaka, the Competitions Technical Study group produced the nominations after analysing 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.
Castel Challenge Cup players awards nominees Briefs
Player of the Tournament
Name: Patrick Macheso
Position: Midfielder
Club: Silver Strikers
Number of games Played: 5
Number of games started: 5
Total Minutes played: 339
Goals: 5
Patrick Macheso was one of the ever-present players for the Bankers as they reached the final of the inaugural Castle Challenge Cup which they lost 4-2 on post-match penalties to FCB Nyasa Big Bullets. He played all the five games for Silver, scoring five goals and was the competitions joint top goal scorer.
Name: Hassan Kajoke
Position: Striker
Club: FCB Nyasa Big Bullets
Number of games Played: 5
Number of games started: 2
Total Minutes played: 187
Goals: 4
Hassan Kajoke was one of the two players alongside Nixon Nyasulu who played more matches for the champions during the campaign as he made five appearances. He only started two matches and came from the bench on three occasions. However, he made a huge impact as he scored four goals including a brace in the quarterfinals against Ekwendeni. Kajoke also converted during the post-match penalty shootouts in the semi-final and final as Bullets beat Mighty Wanderers and Silver Strikers respectively.
Name: Lanjesi Nkhoma
Position: Striker
Club: Nyasa Big Bullets
Number of games Played: 4
Number of games started: 3
Total Minutes played: 271
Goals: 2
Assists: 2
MOM: 1
Lanjesi had a good run in Cup competitions for Bullets as he scored in three cup final matches including the Castle Challenge Cup. With Bullets resting a number of players in the competition, Nkhoma was one of the few seniors players who were ever present as Bullets become the first winners of the newly introduced competition. He scored two goals with two assists.
Goalkeeper of the Tournament
Name: Pilirani Mapira
Position: Goalkeeper
Club: Silver Strikers
Number of games Played: 5
Number of games started: 5
Total Number of Minutes played: 406
Cleansheets: 3
Pilirani Mapira was one of the few Silver Strikers players who played all the five games during the campaign as Silver reached the final where they lost to FC Nyasa Big Bullets on post-match penalties. He kept three cleanshets.
Name: Rahaman John
Position: Goalkeeper
Club: Bangwe All Stars
Number of games Played: 4
Number of games started: 4
Total Number of Minutes played: 360
Cleansheets: 2
After missing the opening match in round of 64 John played every minute of Bangwe’s last four matches as they qualified for the last four where they lost 2-0 to Silver Strikers. He kept back-to-back cleaneshets in the round of 16 and quarterfinals as Bangwe eliminated MAFCO 1-0 at home and Chitipa United away in Karonga respectively. He was the hero in the quarter-final after saving Chitipa United last penalty and scored his team’s winning penalty to inspire Bangwe to their first ever national cup semi-final.
Name: Richard Chimbamba
Position: Goalkeeper
Club: Nyasa Big Bullets
Number of games Played: 5
Number of games started: 4
Total Number of Minutes played: 360
Cleansheets: 3
Despite FCB Nyasa Big Bullets rotating three goalkeepers in the six games, they played in the competition, Richard Chimbamba got a lion’s share of game time when he played in five matches. He started in four matches including the final and kept two clean sheets. He also made one substitute appearance in the semi-finals against Wanderers.
Discovery of the Tournament
Name: Grem Lemela
Position: Defender
Club: Chitipa United
Number of games Played: 4
Number of games started: 4
Total Number of Minutes played: 282
Chitipa United were the only team that did not concede a goal in the competition keeping four clean sheets from round of 64 to the quarter-finals where they lost to Bangwe All Stars on post-match penalties after a goalless draw. With the United rotating keepers, credit should go to their defence for locking their gates tight. One of the outstanding players was left back Grem Lemela who started all the four matches and had more game time in the entire team.
Name: Talandira Chigaula
Position: Defender
Club: Bangwe All Stars
Number of games Played: 4
Number of games started:4
Total Number of Minutes played:315
MOM:1
Goals: 1
Playing in his first season in the Elite League Chigaula was one of the outstanding players for Bangwe in their debut Super League season which saw them finish sixth and reach the semi-finals of the Castel Challenge Cup. He was one of the outstanding players in the Round of 16 and quarterfinals as Bangwe kept two clean sheets to qualify for their first ever national cup semi-final. He scored the important lone goal and walked away with the Man of the match award as Bangwe saw off MAFCO 1-0 in the round of 16.
Name: Emmanuel Saviel
Position: Striker
Club: Bangwe All Stars
Number of games Played: 5
Number of games started: 3
Total Minutes played: 293
Goals: 5
On loan from FCB Nyasa Big Bullets Saviel used his season long loan deal at Bangwe United to establish himself as a force to reckon with in elite Football. The Castel Challenge Cup was one of the platforms he used to make a big statement of his intent to become one of the top midfielders in the country. He played in all five matches and scored five goals to finish as joint top goal scorers and inspire Bangwe United to their first ever National Cup semi-final appearance.
