FCB Nyasa Big Bullets gear up for their Castel Challenge Cup Round of 16 clash against Ndirande Stars on Saturday. The People’s Team aim to carry their strong form from Karonga into this next stage.
Interim Head Coach Gilbert Chirwa spoke to the club media ahead of the match, providing squad updates and sharing insights on leadership and key players.
Chikumbutso Salima, who missed the Round of 32 win over Songwe Border United, remains sidelined. “We travelled to Karonga with Chikumbutso because we thought he had a minor injury and could play, but after resting, the doctors advised us not to use him. Salima is still out for Saturday’s game,” Chirwa explained.
Peter Banda, who picked up an injury in the same match, will also miss the fixture. “Peter Banda sustained a knock against Songwe, so he won’t be available on Saturday,” he added.
Blessings Mpokera has shown strong improvement in training and could return soon. “Mpokera has improved a lot. We trained with him, and he can return to the team,” Chirwa noted.
With Babatunde Adepoju having returned to his parent club, Frank Willard remains the captain. Mike Mkwate took over leadership on the field after Willard was substituted against Songwe.
Chirwa also confirmed the team has several players involved in the leadership group: “There are several captains in the team. The first captain is Frank, and then we have Blessings, Mike, and Yankho Singo. That’s why you saw Mike taking over after Willard was substituted.”
Reflecting on Maxwell Phodo’s first hat-trick for the club against Songwe, Chirwa praised his versatility: “Maxwell can play as a number 9 or on the flanks. When we moved him to the number 9 role, he delivered all three goals.”
The People’s Team will now turn their focus to Ndirande Stars, aiming to build on the confidence and momentum from their 3-0 victory in Karonga.
