Nyasa Big Bullets continued their glamour and domination in Malawian football on Wednesday night as they scooped most of the accolades at the 2022 TNM Super League Awards.
Held at the Amaryllis Hotel in Blantyre, the delayed coronation ceremony celebrated those who played an outstanding part in the 2022 league campaign, which The People’s Team won on 19 November.
The first award for Bullets was given to the biggest winner on the night, Gomezgani Chirwa, who scooped the Defender of the Season Award before he was announced as the ultimate winner of the Player of the Season prize.
Chirwa, who was also voted Player of the Season at the 2022 Nyasa Big Bullets end-of-season awards in December, found the back of the net only twice and provided eleven assists. Still, his influential involvement with the champions was immense enough for him to deserve the big award.
Patrick Mwaungulu also received recognition on the night as he was named the TNM Super League Midfielder of the Season. The 21-year-old Nyasa Big Bullets Reserves graduate had a great debut campaign, scoring 9 goals and notching up 21 assists.
Mwaungulu was a marvel to watch last season as he put up numerous great performances for The People’s Team in the league and other competitions. The young winger’s overall goal contribution was second to the Golden Boot winner, Babatunde Adepoju. On the night, the midfielder was also competing for the Best Rookie and Player of the Season awards.
Nigerian Adepoju, who completed a move to a South African side Venda Football Academy last month went home with the Best Striker Award after outscoring everyone in the top-flight league with 18 TNM Super League strikes.
It wasn’t a night to shine for our players only but for our head coach Kalisto Pasuwa as well. The expatriate guided us to our fourth championship in a row last season and got named Coach of the Season on the night.
The last campaign saw Bullets finishing ten points above runners-up, Blue Eagles, and set up a new highest score of points to win the championship. Pasuwa’s Maule amassed 73 points, beating the 71-point tally achieved in the 2018 season.
In his four-year stay at The People’s Team, last season proved to be remarkable for the Zimbabwean as his Maule side was simply amazing in all areas. The champions netted the highest number of goals, 69, and conceded only 21 to finish top of the table with a 48-goal difference. The second-placed Blue Eagles scored 39 goals to finish the campaign with a 29-goal difference.
On a night the Bullets were officially crowned the 2022 TNM Super League champions, their 16th title in history, they missed out on the Goalkeeper of the Season award, the accolade our keeper Richard Chimbamba won in the 2021 season.
In the 2021 season, Maule also dominated the TNM Super League Awards after winning the championship. Having won the Best Management award, Bullets also saw ex-midfielder Chimwemwe Idana claim the Best Midfielder and Player of the Season awards, while striker Hassan Kajoke was the Golden Boot Award winner.
Congratulations Maule. We are the Red Nation!
