FCB Nyasa Big Bullets Under 19s secured second position in the FCB Katswiri Under 20 League following a 3-0 victory over Ndirande Dortmund on Wednesday at Kamuzu Stadium.
Our youngsters delivered a commanding performance. They laid a strong foundation in the first half, coupled with clinical finishing and cohesive team play, to defeat the hosts.
What happened
The match got off to a lively start as the young Bullets earned a corner kick just one minute into the game. Vincent Kampira swiftly played the corner to Charles Kasalanga, sparking a promising attack. However, the flag quickly halted the momentum for offside.
Yamikani Fodya’s boys took a deserved lead in the 11th minute, thanks to Prince Jamali’s exceptional skill from a direct free kick. A foul on Holace Chilekwa presented us with the opportunity, Jamali stepped up to take the set piece and expertly curled the ball into the net, leaving Asani Asima with no chance.
Five minutes later, the boys in red doubled our advantage as Dominic Kayamba struck a sublime goal. The move began with a visionary pass from Chilekwa, who precisely picked out Kayamba’s run. Our youngster, wearing the number 15 jersey, controlled the ball before placing it into the left bottom corner of the net.
In the 22nd minute, the hosts were awarded a promising free kick on the edge of the box, sparking hopes of a potential scoring opportunity. Their captain, Daniel Alufandika, stepped up to take the set piece, but unfortunately, his effort failed to find the target, drifting harmlessly wide.
Moments later, Bullets launched a swift counter-attack that caught the opposing team off guard. The move culminated in Kasalanga slipping a precise pass to Chilekwa, who clinically slotted the ball into the net. Chilekwa wheeled away in celebration, thinking he had scored, but his joy was short-lived as his strike was disallowed for another offside.
Kasalanga sealed his place on the scoresheet four minutes after the half-hour mark, expertly finishing off a brilliant team move to extend the young Maule’s lead to 3-0. The goal was a testament to the team’s fluid attacking play, with Jamali initiating the move from the back before Chilekwa provided the decisive pass, setting Kasalanga up for a clinical finish that left the opposing goalkeeper with no chance.
The referee ended the first half with Bullets Under 19s firmly in control, boasting a commanding 3-0 lead.
Our boys picked up where they left off in the first half, starting the second period with renewed intensity. Within minutes, they had already begun to exert pressure on the Dortmund defence, winning two corners in quick succession.
Although neither of these set pieces yielded a goal, they clearly indicated the Bullets’ intent to continue pushing forward and adding to their lead. Unfortunately, the Dortmund defence held firm, clearing both corners and temporarily repelling the Bullets’ attack.
In the 52nd minute, Kelvin Chimodzi found himself presented with a golden opportunity to extend our lead. However, his effort was met with a brilliant save from Asima, who somehow managed to keep the ball out of the net. The rebound fell to Chilekwa, who quickly unleashed a follow-up shot, but the goalkeeper was once again equal to the task, producing another impressive save to deny Chilekwa and keep his team’s hopes alive.
Fodya made a quadruple change, introducing fresh legs into the game to maintain his team’s momentum. Hassan Madula, Osman George, Issa Felix, and Gomezgani Maziya replaced Kayamba, Chilekwa, Chimodzi, and Kasalanga.
Seven minutes after the hour mark, substitute Maziya had a glorious chance to put the game beyond Dortmund’s reach, but the teenager failed to capitalize on the opportunity. His pace and skill allowed him to beat the hosts’ defence, leaving him one-on-one with the goalkeeper. However, Asima expertly stopped his strike.
Dortmund was presented with a rare scoring opportunity to pull a goal back courtesy of a beautifully delivered cross by Paul Kapito. However, his delivery sailed into the box begging for a touch, but there was no one on hand to pounce, and the ball sailed harmlessly across the face of goal, allowing the Bullets defence to breathe a collective sigh of relief.
The referee brought proceedings to a close after 70 minutes, blowing the final whistle to signal the end of the game. With Bullets U19s comfortably ahead by a 3-0 margin, the hosts were left to rue their missed opportunities, while the visitors celebrated a convincing victory.
What it means
Following this comfortable 3-0 win over Ndirande Dortmund, our youth side finished second in the 2024 FCB Katswiri Under 20 League with 61 points.
Fodya’s post-match reaction
“I’m absolutely delighted with the performance of my boys today. From the onset, we dominated the game, creating numerous scoring opportunities. Although we didn’t score in the second half, I’m pleased with the way we managed the game, bringing in fresh legs to maintain our intensity. Overall, it was a comprehensive win, and I’m proud of the way my team executed our game plan [to finish the campaign with a good result].”
