Nineteen trophies, multiple doubles and a historic quadruple — the modern Bullets era has redefined excellence in Malawian football.
FCB Nyasa Big Bullets’ 2-1 victory over Goshen City Dedza Dynamos in the Castel Challenge Cup final at Bingu National Stadium was more than a title triumph — it was the latest chapter in a 12-season period that has produced 19 major trophies and redefined excellence in Malawian football.
What makes this achievement even more remarkable is the journey behind it. This era of dominance was not born out of comfort or continuity, but from years of rebuilding, resilience and belief.
Before the trophies returned, Bullets endured one of the most challenging periods in the club’s history — a phase that would ultimately shape the foundation of today’s success.
The Years Without Silverware
After the 2005 season, Bullets entered a prolonged period of uncertainty. Financial instability left the club without sponsorship, forcing it to compete against better-resourced rivals while fighting to preserve its competitive standards. For seven seasons, silverware remained out of reach and survival — rather than dominance — defined the club’s reality.
The breakthrough arrived in 2012. Despite operating without corporate backing, Bullets lifted the Presidential Cup after defeating Moyale Barracks 1-0 at Civo Stadium in Lilongwe. It was a modest triumph in scale, but significant in symbolism — the first clear sign that the rebuilding process had taken root.
That same season, Bullets finished level on points with Silver Strikers in the league, losing the title only on goal difference. The margins were narrow, but the message was unmistakable: the foundations of resurgence had been laid.
Stability and the Rise of a Dynasty
A defining institutional shift came in 2017 with the partnership between the club and Nyasa Manufacturing Company (NMC). After more than a decade without sustained corporate support, the return of sponsorship restored operational stability and enabled long-term planning both on and off the pitch.
The NMC partnership strengthened administrative structures and reinforced the club’s competitive framework. While immediate league success did not follow in 2017, Bullets lifted the Carlsberg Cup that season — an early signal that momentum was building.
The decisive turning point came in 2018 with the appointment of Kalisto Pasuwa. Backed by renewed stability, Bullets won the league title with 71 points and began a period defined by consistency, attacking intent and tactical discipline.
They defended the title in 2019 after overturning an 11-point deficit — one of the most remarkable recoveries in domestic football history. What had begun as rebuilding had evolved into sustained excellence.
The momentum extended into the pandemic-disrupted 2020/21 campaign, when Bullets secured the league title and added the Airtel Top 8 Cup. Another league and cup double followed in 2022, confirming that this was no temporary resurgence but a structured era of dominance.
The Historic Quadruple
If earlier seasons signalled authority, 2023 confirmed it.
In the most successful campaign of the club’s modern history, Bullets completed an unprecedented quadruple — winning the league, lifting the Airtel Top 8 Cup, securing the FDH Bank Cup and capturing the inaugural Castel Challenge Cup.
The achievement reflected more than momentum. It showcased squad depth, institutional maturity and a culture capable of sustaining success across competitions. No club in the modern domestic era had assembled such a collection of silverware in a single season.
By the end of 2023, Bullets were no longer simply champions — they had become the benchmark of a generation.
Setbacks and Response
Sustained success inevitably brings elevated expectations, and the 2024 season presented a stern examination. Three of the four major trophies won the previous year slipped away, with only the Airtel Top 8 Cup retained.
The league title was reclaimed by Silver Strikers, while Wanderers and Blue Eagles secured the other domestic honours. For a side that had set unprecedented standards in 2023, the campaign served as a reminder that dominance must be continuously defended.
Rather than signalling decline, the setback sharpened focus.
The response followed swiftly. The 2025 campaign began with victory in the Airtel Top 8 Cup and concluded with the reclamation of the Castel Challenge Cup. In doing so, Bullets restored their presence at the summit and reaffirmed the consistency that has defined this 12-season period.
Across this era, the club has accumulated 19 major trophies, including league and cup doubles in 2014, 2022 and 2025, alongside the historic quadruple of 2023. Four league titles have come under Kalisto Pasuwa’s stewardship, while the Charity Shield Cup has been lifted six consecutive times — further evidence of sustained excellence.
More Than Silverware
From financial uncertainty in 2012 to becoming the benchmark of domestic football, this journey has been shaped by leadership, structure and unwavering standards — strengthened first through partnership with Nyasa Manufacturing Company, and today by the continued support of First Capital Bank as the club’s Platinum Sponsors.
Equally important has been the role of the club’s wider network of sponsors and partners, whose sustained commitment has reinforced long-term planning, operational strength and competitive excellence across seasons.
19 trophies in 12 seasons is not coincidence. It is the product of a winning culture, institutional backing and a legacy built on consistent performance at the highest level.
As the Castel Challenge Cup returns to the Bullets cabinet, this latest triumph stands as both celebration and confirmation: FCB Nyasa Big Bullets are not merely competing for honours — they are defining an era.
And with firm foundations in place, the story continues.
