FCB Nyasa Big Bullets return to Kamuzu Stadium on Wednesday afternoon when we face Waka Waka Mighty Tigers in the TNM Super League.
The People’s Team will take on the Kau Kau Boys 72 hours after eliminating Kamuzu Barracks from the Airtel Top 8 at the Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe on Sunday.
Describing the fixture congestion as unhealthy to the players, head coach Kalisto Pasuwa hopes for nothing but all three points midweek, having dropped two points against Premier Bet Dedza Dynamos last Thursday.
Bullets should be at their best to beat the hosts, as Leo Mpulura’s side has been demanding customers for the defending champions. In three recent games, Tigers have only lost once to Pasuwa’s men, with the two games ending in draws.
FORM GUIDE
The Malawi champions are coming off a comfortable 2-0 victory over Kamuzu Barracks in the semifinals of the Airtel Top 8.
Sunday’s victory made us the first team to reach the fourth consecutive final in the competition.
Before travelling to Lilongwe, Bullets drew 1-1 with Dedza Dynamos after beating rivals Mighty Mukuru Wanderers 2-1 in the Blantyre derby.
Tigers have collected four points from the possible nine in the TNM Super League. They lost 3-0 away to Dedza and beat Bangwe All Stars 1-0 before a goalless draw against Karonga United at home.
They also booked a place in the Castel Challenge Cup Round of 16 after they hammered Kalimachoka FC 9-0.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
Over the last 15 years, the two teams have met 29 times in the Super League, with Bullets winning most of the matches.
Since 2009, the defending champions have registered 18 wins, ending up on the losing side just once, drawing 10 times, scoring 45 goals, and conceding 16.
Our biggest win over the Kau Kau Boys came in the first round of the 2022 season when Pasuwa’s men thrashed them 5-0 at Kamuzu Stadium.
Tigers last defeated Bullets in November 2011, when they recorded a 3-0 victory in the league. But since then, they have danced to the tune of the defending champions.
Their best recent results against Bullets have been the two draws in the opening rounds of the 2023 and 2024 campaigns, sharing the spoils following 1-1 and 0-0 stalemates, respectively.
How they stand
Our opponents are in position 12 with 28 points from 25 games, while the Bullets are fourth with 41 points from 24 games.
TEAM NEWS
There is no injury concern ahead of the match. However, Bullets will be without our top scorer, Babatunde Adepoju, due to suspension after the Nigerian picked a third yellow card in the league during our 1-1 draw against Dedza Dynamos last week.
With one eye on the Airtel Top 8 final against Silver Strikers in Lilongwe on Saturday, Pasuwa will likely rotate his squad as we take on the Tigers in the league on Wednesday afternoon.
KICK-OFF TIME AND HOW TO WATCH THE MATCH
The game is scheduled for 15h00, and you can catch all the action live on 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: Mwayi Msungama
Assistant Referee 1: Joseph Nyauti
Assistant Referee 2: MussaGrant
Fourth Official: Michale Mwambyale
Match Assessor: Nkosiyazi Fanny Minandi
