Chief Justice Richard Banda, Justice Richard Banda, Richard Banda, Richard Banda Chief Justice, Banda Richard, Justice Banda, Chief Justice of Malawi, Malawi Chief Justice Richard Banda
3. The First Gentleman, retired Chief Justice
Richard Banda SC on Saturday graced the crunch
tie between Malawi and Chad at Kamuzu
Stadium and witnessed the home team sail
through to the next stage of the qualifiers for
next year’s Africa Cup of Nations.
Chad was responsible for Malawi’s failure to
qualify for this year’s edition in Equatorial
Guinea and Gabon when with nothing to play
for, the Chadians pinned Malawi back with a
stoppage-time equaliser in N’Djamena last
October.
4.
5. The result meant that Malawi failed by a whisker
to be among the 16 nations at Africa’s biggest
football showpiece and had to contend with
painfully watching neighbours Zambia become
African champions for the first time.
But on Saturday, Malawi dumped Chad in the
competition with a 2—0 win.
The First Gentleman was ushered into the pitch
to offer fair play handshakes to the teams by
Sports Minister Enock Chihana.
6.
7. Players said the First Gentleman asked them
to have “courage” and be “brave” to
overcome Chad. He was later seen
celebrating the two goals Malawi scored and
the victory at the end of the regulation time.
As a sportsman, Banda was a track and field
athlete.
Banda also played football for and was once
the captain of the Malawi national team. He
earned the football nickname ‘Shoeshine’
because of his dazzling football skills.
8.
9. He later headed the Football Association of
Malawi and also became the President of the
Olympic and Commonwealth Games Association
of Malawi.
Malawi must now wait for the draw in July to
know the identity of their next opponents in
competition.
