Bullets return to Kamuzu Stadium for our TNM Super League fixture against Dedza Dynamos on Saturday.
With three games remaining for us to finish the first round, Kalisto Pasuwa’s charges will be looking to give it all to finish the opening half on a very high note.
However, The People’s Team must do the job against a very resilient side currently fighting for a top-eight finish before the recess.
Ahead of the match, let’s take a look at how Saturday’s opponents have performed in their second season of top-flight football.
The Dedza-based side started their 2023 Super League campaign with a 1-1 draw at home against Bangwe All Stars, coming from behind to grab a late equalizer through Clement Nyondo to earn a hard-fought point against the rookies.
Gilbert Chirwa’s side was given a second game at home in a row when they hosted Kamuzu Barracks in the second week. It was an interesting match as they took a 2-0 lead through Chifuniro Mpinganjira and Nyondo’s strikes. They almost surrendered to the soldiers who scored two goals in the second half, but with less than ten minutes left on the clock, Ibrahim Sadiki did it for the hosts with a late winner to inspire them to their first victory of the new campaign.
Next on the menu was an away trip to Karonga to play Chitipa United in the third week. It was a battle of rookies that was eventually won by the hosts who hammered won 3-1. The visitors scored their consolation goal through their dangerous man, Nyondo.
Another away fixture was on the cards for Chirwa’s side, this time around, travelling to Balaka Stadium to play Red Lions. Just like the previous week, they lost 2-1 to the soldiers who were also desperate for a result after struggling in their last three games. Dedza scored their goal through Promise Kamwendo.
Week five saw them travelling to Lilongwe to play Blue Eagles. They fought hard to draw 2-2 through Nyondo and Gamphani.
For the next two weeks, Dedza Dynamos recorded back-back draws to Silver and Mighty Tigers. They frustrated Silver to a goalless draw before being held to a 1-1 stalemate by Tigers, scoring their only goal through Nyondo.
At this moment, they were stuck in the bottom half of the league and needed to respond to move up. They hosted Civil Service United in Week 7 where they got all the points through Edward Dakalira and Nyondo, who was scoring in every game.
Then they travelled to the North again, facing Moyale Barracks at Mzuzu Stadium. They lost that match 2-0 before travelling to Blantyre where they drew 1-1 with Mighty Mukuru Wanderers. Dakalira scored from the spot to cancel out Christopher Kumwembe’s early strike.
In Matchweek 11, they got the better of Mafco FC with a 2-1 victory through Nyondo’s brace.
And last week, they returned to the North where they were hosted by Karonga United at Karonga Stadium. Nyondo had given them an early lead before the celebration was cut short by Olson Kanjira’s equalizer to make it 1-1. Josiah Duwa netted the winner for the hosts to move up on the table and pile more pressure on Chirwa.
In 12 league games, they have accumulated 14 points from three wins and five draws. Our Saturday opponents have recorded four losses on the road, scoring 15 goals and conceding 18.
Their dangerous man on the field
Nyondo is an undisputed dangerous man for the Dedza side. He has found the back of the net nine times out of the fifteen goals his team has scored. He is very quick with his legs and can also win duels. He capitalizes on his side’s ability to attack from spaces.
Dedza Dynamos does not sit back to defend, they attack hence being the third-highest-scoring team in the league behind Bullets and Silver.
How they have fared against us
We have faced them twice and we have come out top on all occasions. We first played them at Balaka Stadium in the first round of the 2022 season in which Babatunde Adepoju scored the only goal to inspire Bullets to a hard-fought 1-0 victory.
In the second round, we played them on the final day of the season where we were crowned champions. Babatunde and Hassan Kajoke were on target for The People’s Team to finish the 2022 campaign on a very high note.
Their away form this season
They haven’t won any game away. Their three victories have come from home matches, but they have lost four times away to Chitipa United, Red Lions, Moyale Barracks and Karonga United, drawing against Blue Eagles and Mighty Mukuru Wanderers.
