FCB Nyasa Big Bullets head coach Wedson Nyirenda has revealed why he jokingly cleaned Misheck Billiat’s boots after the winger’s crucial assist in Saturday’s 2-0 FDH Bank Premiership victory over Creck Sporting Club.
Nyirenda said the light-hearted gesture was his way of recognising Billiat for executing a move the technical panel had repeatedly worked on during training.
Introduced in the second half, the Reserves graduate made an immediate impact, delivering a pinpoint cross that Ephraim Kondowe headed home from close range to double Bullets’ advantage.
The goal came at a crucial stage of the match, with Creck Sporting Club pushing for an equaliser, and ultimately put the result beyond doubt as Bullets secured all three points.
“I wanted to show the player that I appreciated what he did because we have been working on that in training. The way the goal came about was almost an exact copy of what we had practised, and he executed it exactly as we had instructed,” said Nyirenda.
The head coach revealed that he reminded Billiat of those training-ground routines as he prepared to enter the field.
“When I was putting him in, I asked him, ‘Do you remember those things?’ He said, ‘Yes.’ Then he went onto the pitch and replicated exactly what we had worked on. I had to show him that I respected what he had done, so I cleaned his boots.”
Nyirenda said the moment should serve as motivation for the rest of the squad, insisting that places in his starting XI must be earned through performance.
“The only thing that should motivate a player now at Bullets is to make sure they are in the next team after every game because nobody has a permanent place in my first eleven without a fight. We need competition for places among the players.”
Bullets return to action on Saturday when they face Ekhaya FC in the second leg of the Airtel Top 8 quarter-final at Mpira Stadium.
The tie remains finely poised after the first leg ended 1-1, with Ekhaya holding the away-goal advantage.
Victory over Ekhaya would send The People’s Team into the semi-finals, where either Blue Eagles or Civil Service United await.
Bullets are the competition’s most successful club in the Airtel Top 8, having lifted the trophy a record four times, including each of the last three editions from 2023 to 2025.
