Nyasa Big Bullets have been paired against Silver Strikers in the Pamtsetse Bonanza few days after defeating the Central Bankers in the NBS Bank Charity Shield.
The People’s Team won a fifth successive Charity Shield following a 1-0 win over Silver at Kamuzu Stadium last Saturday.
Kalisto Pasuwa’s men will be traveling to Lilongwe this week to take part in the four-team bonanza slated for Bingu National Stadium on Saturday and Sunday.
A draw conducted on Tuesday paired the TNM Super League champions and last season’s runners up in the second semi-final match on Saturday, while Bullets’ Blantyre city neighbours Mighty Wanderers will take on Civil Service United in the first semi-final and winners of the two ties will clash in the final on Sunday.
Facing Daniel Kabwe’s side a week later, Pasuwa anticipates an entertaining match from an opponent that plays almost the same type of football as his side.
He exclusively told club media Wednesday morning: “[We expect a very entertaining game again after beating them last week and we know they have been doing their preparations well to see where they got things wrong and where they came good in the previous match.
“A very disciplined side and full of experience plus they keep possession, so we are looking forward to playing them [again] and we hope the best team will carry the day.”
The tournament has been organized to reach out to the victims of the Cyclone Ana that hit some parts of the country last month.
This will be the first time in two years for the two teams to meet at Bingu National Stadium in a cup competition after the Bankers eliminated Bullets in the last edition of the FISD Challenge Cup in 2019.
But putting results aside, Pasuwa sees an opportunity to continue preparing his team five weeks after starting pre-season ahead of the new football calendar. The 2022 TNM Super League kicks-off on March 19.
So far, Bullets have played two games, losing 2-1 to newly-promoted Sable Farming FC in pre-season friendly, before beating Silver Strikers in the Charity Shield and Pasuwa expressed the importance of playing two more games before starting their league title defence next week.
“This is pre-season where we want every player to play and we don’t look to say we are playing this team, as a coach, I need every player who is supposed to be playing to be ready for the whole season.
“We need to continue gaining match fitness before the league starts and I’ve been talking to all my players to prepare for these games,” said Pasuwa while disclosing that he will travel to the Capital City with his entire squad.
“We hope it will be a very good tournament in terms of preparations for the new season,” he added.
