The just-ended transfer window has been a busy one for FCB Nyasa Big Bullets.
By the time the domestic transfer window closed on 25 March, six new players had arrived at the club and twelve had departed.
We take you through the business The People’s Team got into during the latest transfer window.
What happened
In the recent past, Bullets have relied much on the talent from its reserves side, but the just-closed transfer window saw us beefing up the first-team squad with already proven players within the TNM Super League and outside the domestic market.
After the expiry of his deal at Silver Strikers, forward Maxwell Phodo was lured to move from Lilongwe to Blantyre after agreeing to a three-year-long contract deal with The People’s Team last November.
New signing: Phodo joins Bullets
Phodo’s arrival was quickly followed by the acquisition of midfielder Chawanangwa Gumbo who joined us after impressing at Ekwendeni Hammers where he wore the armband for the TNM Super League side.
On 19th November 2022, Gumbo, who had already earned his maiden Malawi national team call-up, signed a deal to keep him at Maule until 2025, just like his fellow newcomer, Phodo.
Chawanangwa Gumbo signs for Bullets
As Bullets were busy on the transfer market to strengthen their winning squad that had just won the Super League title for a fourth consecutive season and the 2022 FDH Bank Cup, the departure of Misheck Selemani, Babatunde Adepoju, Isaac Badu and Chimwemwe Idana happened.
In response to losing these players, the champions of Malawi have in the past weeks reacted by getting the signatures of three foreign players, Kenyan defenders Clyde Senaji Navade and Collins Odhiambo Okumu, as well as Nigerian forward Chinedu Philip Okafor following weeks of trials in Blantyre.
The trio were tested during the 2023 International Pre-Season Bonanza that took place from 3-5 March at the Kamuzu Stadium in Blantyre. Pasuwa was left impressed and with enough reasons to authorize their signings.
48 hours after the tourney, on 7 March, the 26-year-old Senaji, who recently was in the books of Tusker FC in his country, joined us as a free agent on a one-year-long contract after parting ways with the Nairobi side.
Kenyan defender Senaji signs for Bullets
The same day Senaji signed for us, Collins Okumu also penned down his signature to join us as a free agent on a one-year-long deal after leaving Bidco United.
Bullets complete signing of Collins Okumu
As Pasuwa made it open that his quest for a better CAF Champions League experience continues, Maule then moved for another foreign player, roping in the Nigerian striker, Okafor, on a two-year deal, also as a free agent after he parted ways with Bahrain side, Isa Town Sports Club earlier this year.
After quite a dismal showing during the pre-season bonanza, which saw Pasuwa’s men finishing scoreless and bottom of the table, Maule still felt lacking in their squad in terms of attacking options.
The reality check during the tourney must have propelled us to eventually re-sign Mike Mkwate, who had just returned home from Polokwane City.
Having left in 2021 for the South African club, the 25-year-old returned last month and had been training with us before being given a cameo during the tourney in which he impressed.
Negotiations to bring back the diminutive creative midfielder took unhurried steps as the final agreement could only be reached on the deadline day of the domestic transfer window.
Mkwate’s signing meant that Maule finished the transfer window period having completed the signing of six new players.
That was before the confirmation of former Mighty Mukuru Wanderers forward, Ephraim Kondowe, and Zimbabwean midfielder, Kenneth Pasuwa, who signed for us as free agents past the deadline day.
For a team that has recently been improving its squad by promoting youngsters from the reserves side, the just-ended transfer window proved to be quite the busiest in the past five years.
While there have been several signings, Bullets have also been bustling in loaning out eight players to two TNM Super League sides.
Club Statement: Bullets confirm loan moves
After spending a season with Sable Farming, White Kitsen has been loaned out again, this time to Ekwendeni Hammers.
In search of more playing time, last year’s big-prospect signing from Ntopwa FC, Mphatso Magaleta, will be together with Kitsen at the Northern Region side.
There will be three Bullets brothers at the TNM Super League outfit from north Malawi as our reserves side uprising midfielder Felix Demakude will have a debut top-flight football season, interestingly in his hometown playing for the Hammers too.
Well, it could have been four brothers with Bullets ties at Ekwendeni Hammers, but Chikumbutso Salima did not join the position ten finishers in last year’s campaign.
The last 2022 Bullets Reserves’ Player of the Season has remained in Blantyre to join his four reserves’ teammates in playing for TNM Super League debutants, Bangwe All Stars.
Bangwe has secured more loan transfers with Bullets than any other local club during this transfer window.
The rookies, who finished second in the ThumbsUp Southern Region Football League, but earned promotion into the Super League after our reserves were ineligible due to the number of slots one club can have in the elite league, will have five Bullets youngsters who made waves last season especially in the national FDH Bank Cup, in which they finished as runners up, losing to our first team in the final.
Last year’s reserves side captain, Yamikani Mologeni and last year’s most regular shot-stopper, Rahaman John will also be at the BAS.
After five sparkling years of development under Enos Chatama’s tutelage, fan favourite creative midfielder Chimwemwe Yassin and our last year’s top goal scorer, Emmanuel Saviel will play for Bangwe All Stars too in the upcoming season.
