FCB Nyasa Big Bullets head coach Peter Mponda has insisted that Sunday’s TNM Super League home defeat to Blue Eagles had nothing to do with squad rotation, but rather a poor team performance on the day.
Fresh from our Airtel Top 8 Cup triumph in Lilongwe, Bullets were hoping to bounce back from the recent loss to Civil Service United, but a late strike from Laurent Banda earned the visitors a 1-0 victory at Kamuzu Stadium—our first home loss of the campaign and a third in the league this season.
Speaking after the final whistle, Mponda was frank in his assessment:
“Today, we didn’t play well—defensively or offensively. We just weren’t ourselves. I don’t know if the players were still celebrating the Airtel Top 8 success, but this wasn’t good enough. We’ve let down our supporters, and that’s very disappointing.”
Despite handing first TNM Super League starts to Paul Master and Peter Banda and restoring Frank Willard to the starting XI as captain, Mponda defended his selection.
“I don’t think it was about changes. The back three [of Blessings Mpokera, Andrew Jovinala and Dominic Musonda] from the final were maintained, and Paul replaced Lloyd [Aaron], who is no longer with us. Paul didn’t do badly. The truth is the team didn’t click, and that’s not down to rotation.”
With rivals Mighty Wanderers dropping points in their 1-1 draw against Moyale Barracks, the loss was a missed opportunity for Bullets to reduce the gap at the top. The team remains second in the standings with 27 points from 12 matches, six behind the Blantyre rivals.
“We had everything to play for,” Mponda continued. “But apart from Ephraim’s effort that hit the post, we didn’t create anything. We were flat, and we deserved the defeat. It’s regrettable, and we must bounce back quickly.”
While the loss was a setback in the title race, Mponda’s main concern remained the lack of intensity and cohesion.
“What worries me most is how we played—not just the result. We were poor across the pitch, and if we’re honest, we didn’t deserve anything from the game.”
The head coach now turns his attention to the next challenge as Bullets travel to Rumphi for our first away game in the North. The People’s Team will face Mzuzu City Hammers on Thursday at Rumphi Stadium.
“We’ll go back to the drawing board and prepare well for the next match. There’s no time to dwell. We have to respond,” he concluded.
