FCB Nyasa Big Bullets return to the TNM Super League action with a crucial fixture away to Dedza Dynamos on Thursday following the international.
For the first time in the second round of this campaign, The People’s Team had slightly over a week to rest after the 0-0 outing away at Blue Eagles on 12 November.
With three straight draws recorded for Kalisto Pasuwa’s men, Bullets will be travelling to Dedza looking for all the points as victory will take the defending champions closer to a fifth league title in a row.
But Maule will face a resilient side that has only lost once at home, a venue where the Malawi champions are yet to record a win in a competitive match.
Last season, our only league defeat came at Dedza where we lost 1-0 to Mafco FC through a Zikani Sichinga’s first-half strike.
Visiting Gilbert Chirwa’s men for our final TNM Super League match in the Central Region this term, Bullets realize the importance of collecting all the points to fend off the pressure from our cross-town rivals, Mighty Mukuru Wanderers, who are just two points behind us and with two games left for them wrap up the campaign.
Ahead of the trip, let’s take a look at how Thursday’s opponents have fared in their second-round fixtures.
Chirwa’s side has had a frustrating season in their second appearance in the top-flight championship since earning their promotion at the end of the 2020/21 season.
Unlike the previous spell in which they were at some point in the top four, before finishing tenth, Dedza have had a tough start to this campaign. Currently in position number nine on the log table with 35 points from 28 games, they are among the seven teams fighting relegation.
Dynamos opened the second round with a 2-0 defeat away to Kamuzu Barracks before they bounced back to record a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Chitipa United at home.
In the third week of the second round, they travelled to Blantyre where they lost 2-0 to Mighty Tigers. The visitors missed two penalties through Clement Nyondo.
Next, they hosted Red Lions at Dedza Stadium and Chirwa’s side made amends with a comfortable 2-0 triumph over the side that was fighting for survival before their relegation was confirmed.
For the next seven games, Dedza Dynamos only got seven points from the possible 21, dropping further in the standings as they kept losing points week after week.
Their next outing was Chitowe Stadium where they drew 0-0 with Mafco FC before sharing the spoils with Karonga United following a 2-2 stalemate that was followed by a 0-0 draw away to Extreme FC then another goalless impasse against Moyale Barracks.
They went on to lose 3-0 to Bangwe All Stars before travelling to Silver Strikers where they collected all points with a narrow 1-0 victory.
Dedza returned to their base to host Blue Eagles and won the match 2-1, but couldn’t stop Wanderers, who ended their unbeaten home run in the current season as they lost 1-0.
Before our showdown, they travelled to Civil Service United where they got hammered 3-0.
In the last 13 games, Dedza have scored nine goals, conceded 15 and kept five clean sheets.
Men to watch
Nyondo is an undisputed dangerous man for the Dedza outfit. He has found the back of the net 14 times and he is a joint-leading scorer alongside Bullets’ Lanjesi Nkhoma.
The forward has scored 50 per cent of the 28 goals scored by Chirwa’s side. He is very quick with his legs and can also win duels. He capitalizes on his side’s ability to attack from spaces and through set pieces.
Dynamos also have Lameck Gamphani, a versatile winger who has seven assists to his name. The youngster has pace, can attack from his position into the offensive zone without problems, and has created lots of goal-scoring opportunities for his team through set pieces.
How they play
Dedza Dynamos does not sit back to defend, they attack in numbers hence being the only side to have won more penalties at home this season. They have quick wingers and a very attacking midfielder in Simeon Singa, who can attack and create running spaces for his strikers to pounce on.
Weaknesses
They don’t stand a chance against lethal wingers. On a good day, our pacey wingers can pounce on them with high-pressing football that normally results in our opponents committing errors.
Chirwa’s men also haven’t been good in defence as they are the third-highest conceding team with 36 goals, behind Red Lions and Extreme FC.
Previous Meetings against Dedza Dynamos
Bullets and Dedza have come face to face thrice in the TNM Super League.
In their first season in 2022, we played them at Balaka Stadium in the first round in which Babatunde Adepoju scored the only goal to hand Pasuwa’s men all three points. We then hosted them on the final day of the previous campaign at Kamuzu Stadium where we were 2-1 winners through Adepoju and Kajoke’s strikes in each half.
In a cup competition, we hammered them 5-1 in the FDH Bank Cup semifinals in September at Kamuzu Stadium. Collins Okumu, Kajoke, McFallen Mgwira and Anthony Mfune’s brace took Pasuwa’s men into the final and went on to beat Mafco to defend the trophy.
