FCB Nyasa Big Bullets Under 19s succumbed to a heavy 4-1 against Ndirande Dortmund in the FCB Katswiri Under 20 League at Kamuzu Stadium on Saturday morning.
What happened
Meeting seventh-placed Dortmund, Bullets hoped to finish the first round of the 2024 third-division league campaign with a win to cement their position at the top of the table.
The match ignited with the visitors threatening our youngsters, with Lemson Alie shooting wide in the third minute, followed by two consecutive free kicks that went off target.
Kelvin Chimodzi sparked hope for Yamikani Fodya’s side when he had an attempt wide in the 17th minute.
Dortmund’s persistence paid off in the 20th minute when Alie scored the opener following an exchange of passes before breaking the deadlock.
As the game unfolded, Bullets struggled to find their footing. Adam’s shot was deflected, winning a corner kick, but the offside flag halted their momentum.
Osman George’s shot straight into Asani Assima’s hands further dampened the young Bullets’ spirits.
The opening half ended with Dortmund leading 1-0, leaving Bullets with a daunting task ahead.
Second half, Bullets introduced the fresh legs of Owen Themu, Anthony Soko and Gomezgani Maziya replacing Osman George, Pemphero Mdeza and Brian Mwase.
The substitutions brought some rhythm to our boys who launched a series of counter-attacks, but penetrating the visitors’ defence was not easy.
Despite all the knocking, Dortmund capitalized on our lack of concentration in the defensive zone as Alie scored his second goal in the 46th minute when Simon Jere released him to stretch the visitors’ lead with a powerful volley into the far corner.
Fodya’s boys continued pressing for a goal and substitute Themu finally found the back of the net in the 63rd minute, assisted by Kampira.
However, Dortmund sealed the win with goals from Blessings Moyo and substitute Trust Mponda in the 73rd and 75th minutes, leaving Bullets in the shadows and our youngsters lost their third game of the campaign with a heavy 4-1 beating.
What it means
Following this defeat, Bullets now have faced back-to-back defeats after they also lost 2-1 to Ndirande Stars before facing Dortmund.
Our 19s now have collected 34 points from 15 games, winding up the first round of the league with a loss.
Fodya’s post-match reaction
“We’re disappointed with the outcome, but we knew it would be a tough match against a strong team like Dortmund. We had our moments, but we couldn’t capitalize on them. We conceded some soft goals, which made it difficult for us to come back.
“We’re not happy with the way we ended the first round, but we can’t dwell on it. We have to focus on the second round and make sure we’re better prepared. We’ll go back to the drawing board, work on our mistakes, and come up with a new strategy.”
Next
After a rollercoaster first round, Bullets will be poised to reboot and relaunch their league campaign with renewed strength.
