The busy schedule continues for FCB Nyasa Big Bullets as we will be going into a new month this week with plenty of action for three of our four teams.
In the TNM Super League, the highlight will be the much-anticipated Blantyre derby as points and the city’s bragging rights will be at stake in the top-of-the-table clash.
The mini derby is also imminent as Bullets Reserves will face Wanderers Reserves this week.
After wrapping up the first round of the FAM Women’s Football Southern Region League on Saturday, Bullets Women will not rest but go straight to their second-round campaign this weekend.
Here is what’s lined up for The People’s Team this week…
First Team
Fresh from their first-ever defeat at Kamuzu Stadium in a cup game in almost seven years, losing 2-1 against Civil Service United in the Airtel Top 8 quarter-final second leg on Saturday, Bullets will switch focus to another cup fixture before returning to league action.
Kalisto Pasuwa’s men will host Lipulumundu Stars from Mangochi in the round-of-64 of the inaugural Castel Challenge Cup on Wednesday before switching their attention to the highly-anticipated Blantyre derby against Mighty Mukuru Wanderers in the TNM Super League on Sunday. Both games will be played at Kamuzu Stadium.
The midweek fixture will see Bullets’ first involvement in this competition after the rest of the TNM Super League sides have all played their matches at the round-of-64 stage. Our last-32 qualifier against the non-league side was pushed due to our involvement in the FDH Bank Cup final and the Airtel Top 8 two-legged tie against Civil.
72 hours after facing Lipulumundu, the Blantyre derby awaits at the Soccer Mecca where apart from the bragging rights, points will be at stake between the two crosstown rivals. Both at 53 points, this will be a cracker considering that Wanderers have to stop Bullets at all costs to keep their slim title hopes alive. But a win for Bullets will surely take them closer to their fifth league title in a row with two games in hand over their rivals.
Reserves
Enos Chatama’s side was in Mponela where they came from behind to beat Namitete Zitha 2-1 in the Champions Cup round-of-16 to proceed to the competition’s quarter-finals.
With only one opposition remaining to wrap up their group stage campaign in the ThumbsUp Southern Region Football League, the defending champions will visit Wanderers Reserves in a mini derby in the last match.
A win will see them going into the knockout stages as Group B winners, awaiting a draw to learn their next opponents.
The first-round match between the two teams ended 3-0 in favour of the young Bullets.
However, before this showdown, they have to face Zingwangwa United in the Nyasa Capital Finance Cup in what is likely to be a midweek fixture.
Women
They finished the first round of the FAM Women’s Football Southern Region League on Saturday with a comfortable 12-0 thrashing of Evirom FC, but they will have no time to rest as they will go straight to the second round with an away match to Red Lioness in Zomba.
The first-round encounter ended in favour of Maggie Chombo’s ladies who hammered their counterparts 12-0 at Kamuzu Stadium. Our ladies are second on the table with 16 points, five points behind log leaders Ntopwa.
Youth
Our youth team is currently on break having concluded the FCB Under-19 Cup in which they won the bronze medal behind champions Manchester Motor Spares FC and runners-up, Griffin Youngsters.
