Online Reporter
Tadious Manyepo in Lilongwe, Malawi
CAPS UNITED’S preseason tour of Malawi has opened discussions around a possible long-term partnership with Silver Strikers, a development that reflects the Harare club’s effort to rebuild both its squad and its wider football footprint as preparations for the new season gather pace.
The Malawian side says they see clear alignment with Makepekepe and want the relationship to grow beyond the current training camp into a broader working arrangement that could include technical exchange, player development pathways and joint commercial projects.
Silver Strikers chief executive Patrick Chimimba confirmed his club’s interest after the two teams met in a series of friendly matches in Lilongwe.
“At Silver Strikers, we believe in building partnerships with different teams and CAPS United has emerged as one of the clubs we want to work with,” said Chimimba.
“There is Chawanangwa Kaonga who played for Silver Strikers and is now with CAPS United. There is also Lloyd Njaliwa and Joseph Kamwendo who is part of their set up.
“With that, we believe we can take this relationship beyond the matches we are playing here. There is a lot we can learn from them and CAPS United can also learn from Silver Strikers.”
Makepekepe beat the Bankers 1-0 at Silver Stadium through a Brett Amidu strike in one of the tour fixtures, but the more significant outcome has been the strengthening of ties between the two clubs following groundwork laid when CAPS director Maxwell Mironga and assistant coach Kamwendo travelled to Malawi in December.
Mironga said partnerships are becoming increasingly important as clubs look to strengthen their structures and remain competitive in a changing football landscape.
“I think partnerships are the way to go at this stage and we will sit down and look at how best we can move forward together,” said Mironga.
“We can learn from them and they can learn from us. We are ready to twin with them and will work on the details.”
CAPS have a growing Malawian presence within their camp with former Flames captain Kamwendo on the technical bench and internationals Kaonga and Lloyd Njaliwa in the squad, factors that have helped deepen the connection between the two sides during the tour.
Silver Strikers coach Mapopa Msukwa believes the Green Machine have the quality to compete strongly once the season begins, although he feels they can still sharpen their physical conditioning after the break.
“They’re a good side and they still have room to improve in terms of physicality and movement. I think they will do well in the 2026 PSL season,” he said.
CAPS will conclude their Malawi camp with another friendly before heading to Mozambique, while the conversations that started in Lilongwe look set to continue as the Green Machine work to strengthen their network ahead of the new campaign.
