History beckons for FCB Nyasa Big Bullets in the fourth edition of the FDH Bank Cup, Malawi’s most prestigious knock-out club competition.
Whereas last season’s FDH Bank Cup final was all about adding the first trophy to the cabinet in that campaign, Kalisto Pasuwa’s men go into Sunday’s match against Blue Eagles to seek redemption and set a new benchmark of becoming the first club to win the silverware three times in a row.
Having already broken the record for the most cup final appearances in this competition, the next target is to win it for the third consecutive time and become the most successful team in the FDH Bank-sponsored competition launched in the 2020/21 season.
It’s a more positive atmosphere as The People’s Team heads back to Bingu National Stadium, 10 months after beating Mafco FC 3-0 to defend the trophy in our quadruple-winning season.
This will be the second cup final between the two teams in almost a decade, with the Eagles winning the first contest, the Airtel Top 8, in 2018 at the same venue.
We meet again in the capital, where the winner will lift the decorated trophy in front of thousands of football fans who will grace what promises to be an epic battle between the holders and the second-tier side, relegated to the Chipiku Central Region Football League last season.
FORM GUIDE
Bullets go into this contest with a mixed bag of results. In the last four games across all the competitions, The People’s Team has had two wins, one draw and one loss.
Pasuwa’s men drew 1-1 with Moyale Barracks in the TNM Super League before travelling to Lilongwe to beat Zambian Red Arrows in the first leg of the CAF Champions League first preliminary round.
The next assignment was against Moyale for a place in the final of this cup. It was a match in which Bullets dominated by taking the game to the opposition, who had earlier frustrated us in the league.
At the end of 90 minutes, we recorded a 3-1 victory courtesy of Babatunde Adepoju’s brace and a lone strike from Ephraim Kondowe to progress to the final.
We travelled to Lusaka for the return leg against Arrows, losing 2-0 to exit Africa’s biggest club competition with a 3-2 aggregate loss.
As for the opponents, in the last four games, they registered three draws and one big victory in the Chipiku League.
They drew 1-1 against Wimbe FC, Dzaleka Future Stars and Chatoloma Admarc before beating Chisomo Academy 4-1.
In the TNM Super League, Bullets are at their lowest point, having dropped to eighth position with 24 points from 16 games, winning five, losing twice and registering nine draws, while Eliah Kananji’s men are flying high in their quest for a return to the top flight league.
Eagles lead Group B of their league with 25 points from 11 games, winning seven games, registering four draws and are yet to taste defeat after scoring 38 goals and conceding nine.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
This will be the fourth meeting in a cup final between the two teams. Blue Eagles have won all previous matches with 1-0 margins. They won the Chibuku Cup, Press Cup and Airtel Top 8 at the expense of the Malawian champions.
Our last meeting in a cup game was last November when we battled in the Airtel Top 8 semifinals at the Bingu National Stadium where Pasuwa’s men won 3-2.
When it comes to league matches, Bullets have had eleven wins against Eagles’ three since 2013, with seven matches ending in draws.
Road to the final
The two teams have charted different paths to the final, with Bullets posting significant winning margins against their previous opponents.
From the Round of 32, Bullets faced four Super League opponents to reach this level while Eagles played against three Super League teams and one fellow Premier Division side to make it to the final.
Bangwe All Stars fell on the wrong side of some lopsided result as the defending champions breezed through to the Last 16 with five unanswered goals.
The next opponent was rivals Mighty Mukuru Wanderers in the Round of 16 at Kamuzu Stadium. This was a match and a half as Bullets came guns blazing to claim all the Blantyre City bragging rights with a 2-1 win to book a place in the quarterfinals where Civil Service United was awaiting.
This quarterfinal match was an intense contest as The People’s Team needed a last-minute strike from substitute Precious Phiri to win 1-0 to advance to the next stage.
In the semis, Bullets did what was necessary to dispose of Moyale with a comfortable 3-1 win to date Eagles in the final.
In the Round of 32, Kananji’s men hosted Silver Strikers in a match that was decided through spot-kicks after normal time failed to produce a winner despite Eagles’s dominance. The Area 30-based side triumphed in the shootout, beating Peter Mponda’s men 5-4 to progress to the next round where they faced Santhe Admarc.
Playing a fellow Premier Division side wasn’t easy for The Eagles, who, for the second time in the campaign needed post-match penalties to advance to the quarterfinals.
The regulation time ended without a goal, but Kananji’s men progressed to the next stage with a 4-2 penalty win.
They met Baka City in the quarterfinals at Karonga Stadium where they comfortably beat the Northern Region TNM Super League relegation-threatened side 3-0 to reach the semis, where they beat Karonga United 2-0 to book a place in the final.
How Bullets have performed in Cup Finals at BNS
Since 2016, The People’s Team has featured in four cup finals at the Bingu National Stadium.
We first appeared in the Carlsberg Cup final against Wanderers in 2017. The regulation time ended 2-2 and Bullets went on to win 5-4 on penalties to lift the trophy.
Returning to the 44-seater stadium two years later, The People’s Team suffered a frustrating 1-0 defeat after conceding a last-minute controversial penalty that was converted by Stewart Mbunge to win The Eagles the Airtel Top 8.
In the 2022 season, Bullets failed to defend the Airtel Top 8 Cup when they lost 5-4 to Wanderers following a 0-0 stalemate in regulation time.
The 2023 season was a term of double celebration for Pasuwa’s men at the venue where we first beat Mafco FC 3-0 to win our second FDH Bank Cup, before defeating Silver Strikers 4-2 on penalties to win the Castel Challenge Cup after a 1-1 result in normal time.
How Eagles have performed in Cup Finals at BNS
Since 2016, this will be the second time The Eagles have played a cup final at the facility. They won the Airtel Top 8 Cup in 2018 by beating Bullets 1-0, but since then, they haven’t appeared at the BNS in a cup final.
Blue Eagles are unbeaten in their last four cup final appearances in all competitions, winning the Chibuku Cup in 1995, the Carlsberg Cup in 2012, the Airtel Top 8 Cup in 2018 and the then FISD Cup in 2019.
TEAM NEWS
All the players who travelled to Lilongwe and Zambia for the CAF Champions League and FDH Bank Cup games are fully fit and available for selection.
However, Pasuwa will still be without midfielder Ernest Petro and left-back cum winger Crispin Mapemba, who are still recovering from injuries.
Bullets will also be without Anthony Mfune, Mike Mkwate, Alick Lungu and Clever Mkungula. The four players are recovering from their long-term injuries.
Midfielder Frank Willard is also not available as we face Blue Eagles in the FDH Bank Cup final as he is suspended after accumulating three yellow cards in the competition.
As for the opposition, they have no injury concerns ahead of the match.
KICK-OFF TIME AND HOW TO WATCH THE MATCH
The 2024 FDH Bank Cup final is scheduled for 15h00 and you can catch all the action live on Mpira TV and MBC TV. It will also be streamed on FIFA+. You can also catch all the match updates on our Facebook and X (Twitter) channels.
MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: David Chinoko
Assistant Referee 1: Lameck Phiri
Assistant Referee 2: Samuel Fudzulani
Fourth Official: Rose Dzimba
Match Commissioner: Goodall Chinjoka
