Ahead of our 2025 Airtel Top 8 Cup final against Silver Strikers at Bingu National Stadium on Sunday, head coach Peter Mponda addressed the media on Friday afternoon.
The gaffer shared his thoughts on the team’s preparations, motivation, tactical plans, and the weight of managing Malawi’s most successful club heading into another major final.
Below is the full transcript of what the coach had to say.
On preparations
“It has been a very good week in terms of preparing for the game. We have no excuses—we’ve done our work both psychologically and on the training pitch. I have all the players available and ready for selection, and as a coach, that gives me a positive headache. But overall, everything is looking good.”
On what will motivate the players on Sunday
“Just being in a final is motivation enough. The boys have worked hard to get here, and I don’t think they would want to let this opportunity slip away. They understand the significance of this game and the pressure that comes with it. They are ready.”
On whether Bullets are favourites
“If anything, the odds are in Silver’s favour. They’ve had a more settled squad—only Chimwemwe Idana has left. For us, we lost several players and are rebuilding almost from scratch. Of course, we’re still getting results and playing good football, but we’re not quite where we want to be yet. That said, I’m proud of the team and how they’ve been performing.”
On the tactical approach
“It’s our aim to finish the game within 90 minutes. We need to strike the right balance between attacking and defending. We can’t sit back and just absorb pressure, nor can we throw everyone forward recklessly. As coaches, we’ve discussed this in detail. Penalties are a lottery—we want to win it in regulation time.”
On finding a starting XI
“I have 27 quality players to choose from. I don’t believe in having a fixed first eleven. The lineup is determined by players’ effort, work rate, intelligence in training, and the type of opposition we’re facing. Those who show they want it more in training are the ones who earn a spot.”
On facing his former club in the final
“It feels good. I’m happy with how we’ve progressed since I took over. There has been improvement, but what we now need is consistency. Last year, I was a losing coach in the final—I want to change that this time and take the cup back to Blantyre.”
On handling pressure at Bullets
“Yes, Bullets have been winning almost everything, and the numbers speak for themselves. But what’s more important is that we have players who understand what it means to wear this badge. They know the pressure that comes with playing for the biggest club in Malawi, and I’m proud to say they’ve handled it well.”
On lessons learnt from the loss to Civil
“That match and this final are two completely different scenarios. We didn’t qualify to be in that Civil match, but we earned our place in this final. We’ve played four matches to get here, and the performances along the way have shown that we’ve been on the right track. I won’t go into tactical details, but the players know what’s at stake. They don’t need extra motivation—from the coaches or anyone else. They’re hungry to win and take this trophy to Blantyre.”
