FCB Nyasa Big Bullets staged an impressive comeback to defeat Blue Eagles 2-1 at Aubrey Dimba Stadium on Sunday afternoon in our final pre-season match ahead of the 2025 campaign.
It was a high-octane affair, with Peter Mponda’s side asserting dominance across all facets of the game.
The opening half
Right from the first whistle, Bullets displayed their intent by employing a high-pressing style of play, forcing their opponents to struggle with ball control.
Just four minutes in, Bullets were awarded a free kick near the edge of the penalty area. Henry Chiwaya stepped up, but his delivery landed straight in the hands of goalkeeper Joshua Waka.
Despite being on the back foot for much of the play, Blue Eagles surprised The People’s Team by taking the lead with their first threatening move. A fluid interchange between Ian Chinyama and Laurent Kamanga caught Bullets’ defense off guard, allowing James Stambuli to capitalize with a powerful strike past Austin Chirambo and into the net—1-0.
Mponda’s men nearly responded instantly when Wongani Lungu sent a brilliant through ball to Babatunde Adepoju, who outmaneuvered Davie Malenguka but narrowly missed the target, his shot flying just inches wide of Waka’s goal.
By the 20th minute, Mponda made early substitutions, bringing on Yamikani Mologeni and Innocent Nyasulu for Blessings Mpokera and Chirambo, respectively, in a bid to change the dynamic.
Bullets continued to control the midfield through Lungu, Lloyd Aaron, and Yankho Singo but struggled to dismantle Eagles’ well-organized and resilient defense. In the 35th minute, an unmarked Hassan Kajoke squandered a golden opportunity, sending his effort over the crossbar with the goal wide open. Just two minutes later, he was replaced by Maxwell Phodo.
At the other end, Stambuli almost doubled the Eagles’ advantage when he latched onto a cross from Laurent Banda, but his attempt narrowly missed Nyasulu’s post. They had another chance before the halftime whistle when Banda carved out space and fired a shot that only found the side netting, sparking relief among the Bullets supporters. The first half ended with the hosts leading 1-0.
Second half action
After the break, Mponda introduced Mike Mkwate and Clyde Senaji for Chiwaya and Chikumbutso Salima, while Eagles made several changes, including the introduction of John Banda, Trouble Banda, and Schumacher Kuwali.
Just three minutes into the half, Bullets created an early opportunity. A neat interplay between Mkwate and Babatunde set up Phodo for a one-on-one with Waka, but the forward was slow to react, allowing the goalkeeper to make a fine save.
The People’s Team maintained their dominance in possession and intensity, relentlessly seeking an equalizer while Blue Eagles defended with determination to preserve their slim advantage.
Ephraim Kondowe and Sean McBrams were brought on by Mponda to replace Andrew Juvinala and Maxwell Phodo shortly after the hour mark.
The changes made an immediate impact as Kondowe was brought down by Chikumbutso Bello inside the box to win a penalty that sparked fierce protests from the opposition. Undeterred, Babatunde stepped up to the spot and calmly converted to level the score—1-1.
The equalizer seemed to recharge Eagles, who launched quick counterattacks. Konyo came close, delivering a well-placed cross to Tonic Viyuyi, but his powerful header narrowly missed the post.
With just 15 minutes remaining, Mponda made more attacking changes, bringing on Chawanangwa Gumbo and our reserves graduate Edward Thengo for Singo and Mkwate, transitioning the formation to 3-5-2 to pile pressure on the hosts.
In the 81st minute, Lungu delivered a precise long ball to Babatunde in the penalty box, but his effort was blocked by Chinyama, resulting in a corner that Eagles defended.
The decisive moment came in the 85th minute when Thengo delivered a stunning cross that found Kondowe, who rose above the defense to head the ball past the advancing Waka—2-1 in favor of Bullets.
After taking the lead, Bullets expertly managed the remaining minutes, stringing together over 18 consecutive passes at one point, leaving the hosts chasing shadows. The final whistle confirmed a 2-1 victory for Bullets, concluding their pre-season preparations on a high note.
What’s next?
This victory marks the conclusion of Bullets’ pre-season schedule. The team, which relinquished the TNM Super League title to Silver Strikers last season, will head to Lilongwe to kick off the new campaign against the defending champions at Bingu National Stadium next Saturday.
Mponda’s post-match thoughts
“Yes, we have learnt a few things that would prevent us from making things very difficult for ourselves. It was a very good opening 45 minutes before we got punished by a single mistake. We fought hard and managed to come back to win the game. It was a game in which we played well in all the halves.
“We dominated the play, controlled the midfield, and created chances. This was a very good performance from the team. We are very happy that we can create chances even though we didn’t score more goals. As a coach, this is good. Once we start scoring, we will be assured of scoring more goals because we can create more opportunities.
“[But] you can see that we are still struggling in defence. There is a lot of work that needs to be done for us to be solid at the back because offensively, we are okay, but defensively, we are not good. We have no excuse; the league is starting, and we just need to play.”
