FCB Nyasa Big Bullets return to FDH Bank Premiership action on Saturday as we welcome Creck Sporting Club to Mpira Stadium, aiming to extend our unbeaten start to the season with a third consecutive league victory.
Saturday’s encounter marks our second successive home match at Mpira Stadium following our return to Blantyre after staging our opening three home league fixtures at Joyce Chitsulo Stadium in Mwanza.
Nyirenda’s men have gathered momentum in recent weeks after back-to-back victories over Kamuzu Barracks and Masters FC, but another stern examination awaits against a Creck side eager to climb out of the relegation zone following a difficult start to the campaign.
Form Guide
We are the only unbeaten side remaining in the 2026 FDH Bank Premiership, having collected four wins and four draws from our opening eight league matches.
The People’s Team sit third on the table with 16 points, one behind leaders Silver Strikers. Back-to-back victories over Kamuzu Barracks and Masters FC have strengthened Maule’s early-season momentum after a run of four successive league draws.
Bullets have defeated MAFCO FC, Mighty Wanderers, Kamuzu Barracks and Masters FC, while sharing the spoils with Civil Service United, Red Lions, Moyale FC and Blue Eagles.
Creck, meanwhile, have endured a challenging start, winning one, drawing two and losing five of their opening eight league fixtures.
The Lilongwe-based side occupy 14th place with five points, four adrift of safety. Their only victory came against Masters FC under new coach Ernest Mtawali, while draws against Red Lions and GC Dedza Dynamos have been followed by defeats to Mighty Wanderers, Blue Eagles, Moyale FC, Kamuzu Barracks and Civil Service United.
Creck have scored six goals and conceded 11 heading into Saturday’s encounter.
Head-to-Head
Saturday’s fixture will be the fifth league meeting between the two clubs since Creck earned promotion to the top flight ahead of the 2024 season.
History marginally favours Bullets, who have recorded two wins, one draw and one defeat from the previous four league meetings.
The first meeting ended in a 1-1 draw at Civo Stadium in the opening round of the 2024 campaign. Patrick Mwaungulu gave Bullets the lead before Gift Kadawati equalised for the hosts.
The reverse fixture produced one of the most entertaining matches of the season as Bullets secured a dramatic 3-2 victory. Goals from Maxwell Phodo and Babatunde Adepoju established a two-goal advantage before Muhammad Sulumba struck twice in quick succession to level matters, only for Ernest Petro to net the late winner.
Bullets recorded a convincing 4-1 victory in the first meeting of the 2025 season at Kamuzu Stadium through goals from Wongani Lungu, Babatunde Adepoju, Yamikani Mologeni and Chikumbutso Salima.
Creck responded with a 2-0 victory in the reverse fixture at Aubrey Dimba Stadium in Mchinji through second-half goals from George Chaomba and Jackson Beza, a result that dealt a significant blow to Bullets’ title ambitions.
The clubs also met in the Airtel Top 8, where Bullets progressed from the 2025 quarter-finals after a goalless first leg before Maxwell Phodo’s strike secured a 1-0 aggregate victory.
The Numbers That Matter
Bullets are the only unbeaten team remaining in this season’s FDH Bank Premiership.
The People’s Team have won their last two league matches and are chasing a third consecutive victory for the first time this campaign.
Bullets remain unbeaten at Mpira Stadium since the venue officially opened.
Saturday’s fixture will be the fifth league meeting between the two clubs.
Both Wedson Nyirenda and Ernest Mtawali are in their third spells as head coaches of their respective clubs.
Team News
Midfielder Paul Master remains unavailable through injury.
Nyirenda has been boosted by the return of Madalitso Safuli, who is available for selection after recovering from injury.
Ahamad Kung’unde has also resumed training as he continues his return to full fitness, but Saturday’s fixture comes too soon for the defender to be considered for selection.
Tactical Focus
Bullets have created plenty of goalscoring opportunities in recent matches but have not always converted periods of dominance into comfortable victories.
Maintaining the intensity shown in recent weeks while becoming more clinical in front of goal will be key if Maule are to continue their winning momentum.
Creck’s league position does not fully reflect the quality within their squad. Their victory over Masters FC served as a reminder that they possess enough quality to punish any lapse in concentration.
One player Bullets will have to watch closely is Laurent Banda, who has developed a habit of producing influential performances against The People’s Team throughout his career since his days at Blue Eagles.
Coach’s Thoughts
Our head coach believes Bullets must improve their game management if they are to continue building momentum in the league.
While encouraged by his side’s recent performances, Nyirenda says there is still room for improvement after taking the lead in matches.
“We need to work more on game management. After scoring, we tend to sit back and let the other team start riding on us.”
The Zambian wants his players to maintain their attacking intent and put matches beyond their opponents rather than allowing them opportunities to recover.
“After we score, we should be able to manage the game to frustrate the opponent, and secondly, kill the game because when we score one goal, it’s like we are withdrawing instead of killing the game with the chances we have.”
“If we can kill the game quicker, that would be better for us.”
Opposition View
Creck Sporting head coach Mtawali believes Saturday’s encounter presents his side with the perfect opportunity to begin turning their season around.
The former Malawi international, who played against Nyirenda during their days in South Africa, admits his team fell short in last weekend’s defeat to Civil Service United but says the response in training has given him confidence ahead of the trip to Blantyre.
“Coming to this game against Bullets, the motivation factor amongst the players is there because they know they are playing a big team. The players I have may not be rated highly by many people, but they have the potential to play for the national team, and it’s up to them to show everybody that they deserve to wear the badge for Creck Sporting.”
Mtawali acknowledges his side must improve in both boxes but says his players have spent the week addressing the shortcomings that have contributed to their difficult start to the campaign.
“We have worked on our aggressiveness. We have to start from the first whistle to the last whistle because we are 14th on the table and have only managed to collect five points.”
With Creck looking to climb away from the relegation zone, the coach says his players understand the importance of claiming a positive result.
“We need three points against Bullets because the position we are in is bad. Psychologically, the players are ready, they look sharp in training, we have worked on our weaknesses and we are looking forward to the game on Saturday.”
Key Battle
Much of Saturday’s contest may ultimately be decided by how effectively Bullets break down what is expected to be a disciplined Creck defensive block.
Nyirenda’s men have created goalscoring opportunities consistently in recent weeks but have not always converted periods of dominance into comfortable victories. Improving that efficiency in the final third will be crucial against opponents likely to defend in numbers and look to exploit opportunities on the counter-attack.
Creck, meanwhile, will aim to frustrate Bullets, remain compact without the ball and capitalise on any lapses in concentration. The longer they can keep the game level, the greater their belief is likely to grow.
The first goal could therefore prove pivotal, forcing one side to abandon its preferred approach while allowing the other to dictate the tempo for the remainder of the contest.
What’s At Stake
Victory would extend Bullets’ unbeaten league start to nine matches while securing a third consecutive victory for the first time this season.
It would also keep the pressure on the teams above Maule as the early title race continues to develop.
For Creck, the fixture represents an opportunity to move closer to the teams above the relegation zone and build confidence after a difficult start to the season.
Match Officials
Referee: Mayamiko Kanjere
Assistant Referee 1: Clemence Kanduku
Assistant Referee 2: McHastings Kanjati
Fourth Official: Benson Subiri
Match Assessor: Maxwell Mtonga
Match Details
Competition: FDH Bank Premiership
Fixture: FCB Nyasa Big Bullets vs Creck Sporting Club
Venue: Mpira Stadium
Date: Saturday, 4 July 2026
Kick-off: 14:30
How To Follow
Supporters can follow live updates throughout the afternoon on our official Facebook, X, Instagram and WhatsApp Channel.
The match will be streamed worldwide on FIFA+.
A full match report, post-match reaction and highlights will be available on nyasabigbullets.com after the final whistle.
