Yamikani Fodya says FCB Nyasa Big Bullets need to completely forget the CAF Champions League first preliminary round first-leg victory away to Dragon FC and focus on the return leg to avoid what happened in the 2020/21 season.
The People’s Team gave away a 1-0 advantage when we beat AmaZulu in the previous campaign away in South Africa to lose 3-1 at home in the return match in Lilongwe.
This Sunday, Bullets welcome Dragon at the Bingu National Stadium, coming from a 2-0 win away in Malabo last week and a positive result against the Equatorial Guinea champions will see us sailing to the second preliminary round.
Fodya told club media that going into Sunday’s encounter, Bullets need to pick something from what happened last season when we stumbled at home after scoring an important goal away in Durban.
“If we won 2-0 away, it means the job is not yet complete, and that’s the reason why they are also coming here to play. We have advised each other to forget the first leg result and focus on the return leg. This is a new game.
“We are desperately looking for a positive end to the match so that we win. We are not going into this match as favourites. We are going to start all over and finish them off,” said the defender, Bullets’ longest-serving player in the current squad.
The veteran left-footed defender, who is now slowly being deployed as a centre-back, was also quick to advise fellow players, especially the youngsters not to be afraid of thousands of fans who will come out in large numbers to witness how Bullets will finish the job.
“The fans will come because of us. Yes, the pressure will be there, especially on the youngsters but we managed to win away from home. We can also achieve it at our base so they shouldn’t be afraid of the large crowd, they need to keep on pushing and hope for the best on Sunday because that’s why we are here,” he added.
“We are ready to give the fans what they want. We all know the importance of this game. Last time in the same competition, we disappointed them, but this time around, we are geared to do extra more so that by the end of the day, we make them smile. They should come in large numbers so that we celebrate together by the end of the match.”
He also reminded his teammates of how important it is for the club to reach the extra mile in the CAF Champions League.
“We are representing our [national] flag. It will be good for us to continue doing well in this biggest club competition in Africa. It will not just do us good, but the nation at large. We can’t only be playing domestic competitions, we need to explore more by taking part in international competitions, so if we continue doing well, we are definitely playing a role in improving our game and possibly opening doors for players to play outside the country because of exposure.”
A win on Sunday will see Bullets progressing to the second round for the first time since 2015, with TP Mazembe of the Democratic Republic of Congo waiting to face the winner of the first preliminary round next month.
