FCB Nyasa Big Bullets head coach Kalisto Pasuwa says player rotation is one of the key reasons why his squad has managed to win a treble in the 2023 season.
The People’s Team, who will also play in the Airtel Top 8 final next week, won their third trophy of the campaign after coming from behind to beat Silver Strikers 4-2 on penalties following a 1-1 result in regulation time.
In his post-match press conference at the Bingu National Stadium, he said the conditions of the majority of the playing surfaces in Malawi would make it very difficult for a team to achieve what Bullets have achieved, hence the need to rely on all the registered players to play a part in what has always been a congested season.
“It starts from pre-season. As Bullets, we try our level best to manage our players. We need every player to be ready to play. If I can go back, I think most of the people were not giving us any chance in terms of the quality of the players that I am having. But it’s how we were managing our squad.
“Had it been we didn’t prepare each player to play, by now, we could have achieved nothing, but we kept on rotating them to the extent that people started questioning as to whether I had a first eleven or not.
“If a coach trusts to use only the very same players, it’s a problem because we have bad surfaces and we are limited to play good football at Kamuzu Stadium or Bingu, but the rest of the pitches don’t allow us to play our usual games. So, you need to adjust according to the facilities and players you have. Hence, you saw me using players who can play at home and some who can play away,” explained Pasuwa.
On the overall performance of his side in the final on Saturday afternoon, he said: “[It was] a game where our opponents started very well before they dropped their tempo and allowed us to be all over them. It was a cup game where a result mattered most, and we exactly delivered.
“I have been talking about fatigue, and you saw it that my boys dropped down in the second half where managing the game was what we were doing. Winning on penalties is commendable, and the way these players have been working hard to win these trophies is what is making me very proud of them. I am happy for them.”
With three trophies bagged, the tactician also commented on the chances of his side winning a quadruple this term.
“I am one person who believes in speaking after the end of the match. We can’t talk about winning a quadruple before we play because complacency will end up getting the better of the players. We need to keep on pushing for us to win.
“Remember Mafco is a team that you can’t underrate at any given time because they can cause you problems. We need to prepare well for us to win that cup again,” he told journalists.
