All is well, they say, that ends well. 

And so it was with the FDH Bank Cup final. A Sunday afternoon of ecstasy and despair at Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe. 

For Silver Strikers, it ended in jubilation; for Mighty Wanderers, in anguish.

The Nomads had every reason to believe their hour had come. They led in open play and again during the penalty shootout. 

Yet, when all was said and done, the cup once again slipped through their fingers, another painful chapter in their long pursuit of the elusive K250 million trophy.

A chaotic post-match shootout saw seven penalties missed in total, and when Silver’s Nickson Mwase stepped up to bury the final kick, it sealed a 5–4 victory and sent the sky-blue half of the stadium into heavens.

As Silver players wept tears of joy, the Wanderers’ camp was gripped by silence.

Their goalkeeper Dalitso Khungwa embodied their heartbreak; he collapsed to the turf, devastated after conceding the decisive kick. 

He had been magnificent all afternoon, saving four penalties and keeping his side alive against all odds. Yet, in football’s cruel poetry, his heroics went unrewarded.

Wanderers had struck first, their moment of promise arriving in the 24th minute. 

A beautifully delivered corner from Isaac Kaliyati found Blessings Singini, who rose above his marker to nod home. It was a goal born of confidence and precision, and it sent the Nomads into raptures.

For a time, it seemed enough. But Silver, ever composed, began to tighten their grip on the game. Their forward Andrew Joseph came close to levelling just before halftime when his header kissed the post and the pressure mounted steadily from there.

When Uchizi Vunga blazed over from close range in the 66th minute, it felt like a chance gone begging, but Silver’s persistence would not be denied.

Nine minutes later, referee Easter Zimba pointed to the spot after Wanderers’ stand-in captain Felix Zulu handled the ball inside the area. Maxwell Paipi stepped up and calmly slotted the penalty past Khungwa, restoring parity and reigniting Silver’s belief.

From that point, both sides traded half-chances and moments of anxiety, neither willing to concede ground. 

The final whistle confirmed what everyone feared: the cruel lottery of penalties would decide it.

In the first round of spot-kicks, Wanderers converted through Kaliyati, Singini, Clement Nyondo and Emmanuel Nyirenda, while Stanley Sanudi faltered. 

Silver responded through Paipi, Innocent Shema, Binwell Katinji, and Chinsisi Maonga, though Emmanuel Allan’s effort was brilliantly stopped by Khungwa.

Then came sudden death; a tense exchange of nerves and hope. Both sides failed to find the net in turns before Mwase’s final conversion settled it once and for all, crowning Silver as champions of the fifth edition of the FDH Bank Cup.

For their triumph, Silver Strikers pocketed K45 million in prize money, while Mighty Wanderers walked away with K20 million as runners-up, a consolation that did little to ease the sting of defeat.

After the game, Wanderers coach Bob Mpinganjira admitted disappointment but praised his players’ effort.

“We gave everything we had, but penalties are always unpredictable,” he said. “At some stages, we lost our rhythm, and that made the difference.”

Silver’s coach Peter ‘Shoes’ Mgangira was all smiles as he lifted the trophy alongside his youthful technical panel. 

“This win means a great deal to us,” he said. “People questioned our ability, but we stayed composed and committed."

As the sun dimmed over Bingu National Stadium, the echoes of triumph and despair lingered in equal measure. For Wanderers, it was another tale of heartbreak; for Silver a story of redemption and resilience.

In the end, all was indeed well for the side that kept its nerve when it mattered most.