Silver Strikers FC
Silver Strikers Football Club is a Malawian professional football club based in Lilongwe, currently playing in the TNM Super League, the top division of Malawian football. The club was founded in 1977 as a social team for Reserve Bank of Malawi staff members. hence the nickname the bankers. They have won eight Malawi league titles, one Malawi National Championship, three Malawi FAM Cup and three Top 8 Cups. History The early years (1977–1989) Reserve Bank of Malawi was headquartered in Blantyre and its football team played in the fourth tier of the Blantyre and Districts Football League (BDFL). The bankers promoted quickly to the 3rd Division and finished as runners-up gained promotion to the 2nd Division the following season. They went on to earn promotion to 1st Division in their maiden 2nd Division season, this time as Champions. Reserve Bank of Malawi Head Office was transferred to Lilongwe, and with them went their football team. In Lilongwe, they started off the 1980 season in the Lilongwe and Districts Football League (LDFL) where existing greats of that region – Civo United, CCDC FC (Capital City Development Corporation) and Mitco FC, were already in fierce battles. It didn’t take long for the bankers to establish themselves in the Central Region as the legendary Young Chimodzi was coaxed to join them from CCDC FC. Dickson Mbetewa followed from Mitco FC, through the advice of Chimodzi, Stain Chirwa, Donnex Gondwe and Davie Maleta amongst several others. In 1985, the team won the Lilongwe and Districts Football League (LDFL) championship and as per tradition then had to participate in the National Championship which it won convincingly with seven wins in nine games. In addition to this, they reached two cup finals, losing both to Wanderers in the Kamuzu Cup by 2–0 in a replay after a 1–1 draw in first leg; and 1–0 in the Sportsman Cup Final. This was later to be rewarded by being nominated to participate in the East and Central African Challenge Cup in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, where finished 3rd in a group with AFC Leopards, Young Africans, Kampala CC and Small Simba. In 1986 season, finished 6th in the new established Super League of Malawi and once more, the bankers failed to win in a cup final as Wanderers once more defeated them in the Sportsman Cup final 1–0. The following season they improved and finished 3rd, five points behind their Lilongwe rivals Civo United who grabbed the title. That season also saw them reach two more cup finals and this time they were crowned champions when they beat MDC United 2–1 in the Kamuzu Cup and Bata Bullets 1–0 in the Chibuku Cup. In 1988, Silver Strikers lifted the Sportsman Cup, Press Cup and Challenge 555 Cup, but failed in the Kamuzu Cup final against Admarc Tigers 1–0. The 1990s In 1990, the bankers lost again to Admarc Tigers in the Kamuzu Cup final 3–2. They reached the Kamuzu Cup final again in 1991, this time won against