FCB Nyasa Big Bullets head coach Wedson Nyirenda says adapting to the demands of Sunday’s encounter with MAFCO was key to securing a 3-0 victory and reclaiming top spot in the FDH Bank Premiership.
Clever Kalambo supplied the early breakthrough at Civo Stadium before substitute Tinaye Tsimba settled the contest with two late goals, extending our unbeaten league run to six matches.
Nyirenda stressed that the final margin should not obscure the challenges his players had to overcome.
“First and foremost, it was not an easy match for us. The 3-0 win should not fool anyone who did not watch the game. We knew it would be difficult because we were playing a team fighting relegation. As Bullets, we knew they would come at us strongly, and every game is a final,” he said.
Kalambo’s composed finish rewarded an assertive opening, but MAFCO responded to falling behind and began to exert greater influence in midfield.
That shift prompted Nyirenda to introduce Paul Master for Chawanangwa Gumbo at the interval, seeking greater control with the lead still slender.
“They played a good game and gave us some difficult moments. We scored early to unsettle them, but they kept coming and sometimes dominated the midfield. We were forced to make some changes, introducing Paul Master to try to stabilise the midfield,” he explained.
“In the end, we added two more goals to seal the win, but they did extremely well.”
Bullets continued to create openings after the break. Wongani Lungu was denied from close range, while George Chaomba struck the post after coming off the bench.
The second goal remained elusive until Tsimba, introduced for Kalambo in the 77th minute, found the finish that gave The People’s Team breathing space.
The Zimbabwean beat two defenders before scoring his first competitive goal for the club, then converted Chaomba’s pass in stoppage time to complete his brace.
His Player of the Match performance offered another encouraging glimpse of his qualities following an effective debut against Blue Eagles last week.
Nyirenda highlighted the forward’s strength in possession and ability to turn defenders as central to his contribution.
“He has what we need in a striker. He is good at holding the ball when in possession. The difference between him and Ephraim was strength. Ephraim did a lot of running, but at some point, he lost his steam,” he said.
“When Tinaye came on, he held the ball and turned the defenders, which worked for him. I am very happy for him.”
The head coach also expressed concern about the playing surface at Civo Stadium.
“It is not easy to play on this pitch. If we say this pitch is good enough for a top-flight league, then we are lying to ourselves. But it is what it is, we move on,” he said.
Bullets left Lilongwe with a second successive victory since the restart and a sixth consecutive league clean sheet, moving to 36 points from 17 matches and restoring a one-point advantage over Mighty Wanderers.
Attention now turns to Saturday’s meeting with Civil Service United at Mpira Stadium, where Nyirenda’s men will look to build on our winning return to league action.
