FCB Nyasa Big Bullets head coach Wedson Nyirenda says his players have responded to last weekend’s Airtel Top 8 exit with “anger and hunger” as they prepare to return to FDH Bank Premiership action against Ekhaya FC on Sunday.
Speaking during Thursday’s pre-match press conference, Nyirenda reflected on the disappointment of the cup exit, explained why the team’s full attention has now shifted to the league and discussed the importance of managing the key moments that often decide matches.
The Bullets boss also provided the latest squad update, addressed the club’s transfer plans ahead of the August transfer window and shared his thoughts on Peter Banda’s recent impact and why he believes the winger can become a major asset for the Malawi national team.
Nyirenda also shared further insight into his football philosophy, explaining why he wants every player—not just his forwards—to contribute more goals as Bullets continue adapting to his style of play.
Read Nyirenda’s full pre-match press conference below.
It’s been a week since the Airtel Top 8 exit. How has the squad responded in training?
Yes, I think first and foremost, it was a very painful elimination from the Airtel Top 8. Looking at the way we are preparing, I think you can see the anger and hunger in the players.
They just want to get things right and change the narrative. We drew against Ekhaya at Bingu Stadium some weeks before. Then we came back here and were on the verge of turning the tables. But I think we lost in the post-match penalties.
It is so painful, and you can see it in their eyes during training. I think they are looking forward to a new day on Sunday.
Now you have switched your attention to the league. What are your priorities in the coming weeks?
We just have to concentrate on the league for now. The league is not like a cup game; it’s a marathon. You can win games today, you can lose games today, but you can still recover if you’re serious.
For now, we just want to maintain our momentum. In the past three games, we’ve been doing very well and have found ourselves at the summit of the table. We just want to continue with what we have been doing.
What have you been emphasising to the players about managing the key moments that often decide matches?
I think the main decider is getting goals. So we need to be serious in front of goal. The boys have been doing finishing drills.
We also need to work on our proactive defending. We made a lot of mistakes in the past games where we were not organised when the action was in front of us. But I think this time we have corrected that situation.
Are you under pressure after the Airtel Top 8 exit, with the FDH Bank Premiership and Castel Challenge Cup now your remaining competitions?
Pressure has always been there in football. You can win the cup today, but the pressure will still be there. So it’s just a matter of managing it.
We have these two competitions remaining, the league and the Castel Challenge Cup, and we are working on that. We are not under pressure. I think we are calm, and we are taking every game as it comes.
After facing Ekhaya just a few days ago, what challenge do you expect from meeting the same opponent again so soon?
It has always been very difficult. But I think our approach has changed. We know where we went wrong, and we have made some adjustments.
Now we need to see the team go onto the field with more anger and hunger, like we have been showing in training.
How is the squad shaping up? Do you have any injuries or suspensions ahead of the tie?
Yes, we have some knocks here and there. Paul Master is still out. We still have Chrispin, who has been on a long lay-off.
We also have the captain, Blessings Mpokera, who is nursing a groin muscle injury. We hope he can come back to training tomorrow so that we can assess him. At the moment, it’s 50-50.
What would a better performance look like from Bullets on Sunday?
It’s just the outright victory that we need. That’s all. That will be the best that we can do.
This will be the 10th league match of the season, and the transfer window opens on 1 August. Are there plans to strengthen the squad?
Competition is a healthy thing for every team, and we are considering that because we need it. As I have said before, we need more competition within the team.
If you want a big club to keep moving, you need depth in your squad. So, yes, we are considering bringing in some players. As you’ve asked, we are looking at players from outside the country, but we are also giving priority to players within.
If new players arrive during the transfer window, does that also mean some players could leave the club?
You know, for the pistons to move, one piston has to go up and one piston has to go down.
How important is it to keep winning and maintain the pace in the title race at this stage of the season?
Winning the league requires more wins and more consistency because I think the first round needs to be wrapped up with more points.
The second round has always been very tricky. All things are thrown into the pitch in the second round. So, in these remaining first-round games, we want to amass as many points as we can.
What do you think will be the key to getting the result on Sunday?
The approach. The approach to the game.
The previous game we did not play. We were so flat because our approach was not good, and tactical discipline is all we need. We conceded from a very, very schoolboy mistake, and that cost us.
The other biggest factor is finishing. Finishing has always been a problem ever since I came, but it has been improving from game to game. Except in the previous game, we had very few chances, fewer than in any other game that we have played, but we managed to score from a set piece through a well-taken free kick from Peter.
So we need to work on these factors, which we have done already, and I think on Sunday we just expect the boys to execute their duties.
Peter Banda made a positive impact after coming on against Ekhaya. How do you assess his performance?
Yes, two things about Peter. Peter had a long lay-off through injury. Secondly, he had been out of the team for some time and only recently returned to training.
Now that he has had the feel of a full competitive match, I think he’s looking good. He’s looking set to play his game.
Peter is one of the most skilful and technically gifted players in Malawi. We are working with him on one or two things that I cannot talk about here. After working on those things, I think Peter will become a very big asset for the Malawi national team.
Looking at the matches we have played, the midfielders seem reluctant to shoot at goal. Is that something you are trying to change?
I think what I have found ever since I came is that the midfielders here play football just to play. They play horizontal football; they don’t play vertical football. So we are trying to change all these things so that they become goalscorers.
There is a belief, I think, a myth among the players that if you’re a midfielder, scoring is for the strikers. So now we are preaching to them that every player should be a goalscorer because our game philosophy is that when we lose the ball, we all defend, and when we win the ball, we all attack.
So if that is the case, even the goalkeeper can be a goalscorer. I have seen that happen in my experience. One of my goalkeepers scored the winning goal from a drop-kick. One defender just got a touch on it, and it ended up as an own goal.
He wanted to start a quick attack for his strikers, but it turned into a goal. So every player can score. We are trying to turn our midfielders into lethal goalscorers and not just ball players.
You recently praised Yamikani Mologeni and Misheck Billiat, but they have struggled in the last two matches. Do you think the praise may have affected their performances?
No. I think if you look at the game we played against Ekhaya, you will agree that every player was flat. We did not have any player on that pitch who looked at their best.
The young man, Clever, even when everyone was down, you could still see that he was trying. If we had played the way we did in the previous games, I think that match would have been finished in the first half.
But everyone was flat. All the senior players, if you look at their game, they were also flat. So we just have to accept that it was not a good game for all of us.
We have to raise our game again. It doesn’t take away their abilities or their quality. They are very good players. I can put my head on it. Those boys will become very good players, even greater players in this country.
Are the players adapting well to your football philosophy, and where do you still want to see improvement?
Yes, looking at our team, I have seen the intensity. I saw one game, the one that I watched live in Lilongwe. I saw a team that was so negative.
They were playing back passes all the time. Whoever had the ball had to turn around and play back. There were unnecessary touches, no vertical play, no attacking, and the pace of the game was just too low.
But after that, we picked up and we have been looking good. The boys are very good adapters to whatever they are learning. They are quick learners.
All we need is to encourage them more and continue working with them. They are doing fine.
