Kalisto Pasuwa has admitted that FCB Nyasa Big Bullets’ continued winless run in the TNM Super League is now a big concern.
He was reacting after the defending champions again dropped points following a 1-1 stalemate against Civil Service United at Kamuzu Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
The visitors drew first blood through Blessings Malinda in the 54th minute before Ernest Petro equalized a minute later to rescue a point for us as we registered our eighth draw of the season, leaving us sixth in the table.
“It’s a concern now because the best result we can get now is a draw and we need to dig deeper for us to come back to winning ways. We played last week in a cup game and we won 5-0 and next thing, we went back to a draw in a league match. We need to psych everyone so that we can return to winning ways,” he told journalists after the final whistle.
Asked why he thinks the team has been performing poorly since the start of the new TNM Super League campaign, the Zimbabwean responded: “Remember, we revamped the team and if you can see, we don’t have the senior players that we are supposed to be having especially at a time when things are not okay. Like this hour, in this game, we needed senior players to raise the spirit of the youngsters who are coming up.
“But due to the pressure which is there, we can’t do anything. We quickly need to come back to the winning ways.”
Commenting on the absence of Patrick Mwaungulu and Lanjesi Nkhoma, who travelled to the Democratic Republic of Congo on Sunday for their medicals at TP Mazembe, Pasuwa said he prepares every Bullets player to play when called into action.
“I have been preparing everyone to play. Remember, I have been telling the players to say we will face a period of having the so-called star players. But again, it’s homework for some of the players who are around to see if they can take the team to the next level when they are left with it.
“We need to motivate these players. We need to sit down with them. Remember, we are also putting pressure on Chikumbutso Salima who got promoted from the reserve team and the pressure is too much for him. That’s the same thing that was happening with Patrick but we need some senior players to step up and help these youngsters to pass through this difficult stage.”
Bullets, eyeing a sixth successive Super League title after winning a quadruple last season, have collected 17 points from 12 games, winning only three matches, drawing eight times and suffering one defeat.
The last time The People’s Team won a league match was in May when we defeated Mzuzu City Hammers 2-0 at Kamuzu Stadium.
