FCB Nyasa Big Bullets head coach Wedson Nyirenda is determined to end his side’s three-match winless league run against Blue Eagles when the two sides meet in a crucial FDH Bank Premiership encounter at Mpira Stadium on Sunday.
The People’s Team head into the Matchweek 16 fixture with 30 points, one behind the league leaders, with victory enough to take Bullets to the summit as the second round gets underway.
Bullets last defeated the Police side in 2023, recording a commanding 3-0 victory at Kamuzu Stadium. Since then, the two sides have drawn twice, while Blue Eagles have claimed one victory.
Our most recent meeting ended 1-1 at Civo Stadium, where Ephraim Kondowe cancelled out Tonic Viyuyi’s opener to earn Bullets a point.
Speaking during Thursday’s pre-match press conference, Nyirenda acknowledged the recent record but insisted his players must approach Sunday’s contest with a fresh mentality.
“I always say every day is a new day and every game is a new game,” said the head coach. “We are going to meet a Police team that is progressing well. Our responsibility is to change the narrative. Forget about what has happened behind us and look at this as a new game. Whatever we put into this game is what we want to get out of it.”
With victory offering Bullets the opportunity to take top spot, Nyirenda made no attempt to play down his ambitions for Sunday.
“On the result, we are winning this one. We are winning,” he declared. “This is the game that is going to put us in the number one position, and every player and every official knows about this.
“We are not leaving any stone unturned this week. We are putting everything into it. We cannot miss this chance.”
Both sides closed the first round with victories over fellow title contenders. Bullets swept aside Silver Strikers 5-0 at Mpira Stadium, while Blue Eagles defeated Mighty Wanderers 2-1 to move above The People’s Team at the summit.
Sunday’s encounter will be Bullets’ first competitive fixture after a five-week midseason break, with Nyirenda’s men looking to build on their emphatic performance against the Central Bankers.
While acknowledging Blue Eagles’ physical approach, Nyirenda believes his side have the intensity and tactical flexibility to impose their own game.
“I think Bullets play total football. We are playing total football,” he explained. “We can play from the back, consolidate through midfield and then move into the penetration zone before getting into the finalisation zone. That is our game.
“If they are a physical team, we still have our intensity to work for us. We are a team that can run and we do not collapse easily, so we have devised ways of breaking that down.”
Despite Blue Eagles being without three suspended players, Nyirenda is taking nothing for granted against opponents who have remained among the leading sides throughout the campaign.
“First of all, you have to ask yourself: why is this team above us? Then you must know that they have a good squad,” he said. “For them to be consistent and to stay near the top — they have been number one, two or three — tells you that this is a team with a good squad.
“So, we cannot count on those three players being absent. We forget about them. All we know is that we are meeting a team that is above us.”
Sunday’s encounter offers Bullets an opportunity to make a winning start to the second round and end their wait for a league victory over Blue Eagles, with kick-off at Mpira Stadium scheduled for 14:30.
