FCB Nyasa Big Bullets head coach Kalisto Pasuwa is anticipating an intense test of his team’s TNM Super League title credentials when the defending champions travel to Lilongwe to face Civil Service United on Sunday at Civo Stadium.
This will be Bullets’ third trip to Lilongwe this season, having already visited Silver Strikers in the first game and Extreme FC in the third fixture of the campaign.
The People’s Team will be facing a team that has had a mixed start to the season after registering two defeats, two draws and a single victory.
Pasuwa expects Oscar Kaunda’s men to have their tails up considering that they are winless at home and are struggling for results.
“[It’s a] very tricky fixture for us,” he told club media ahead of the trip to the capital.
“Civil, coming from a defeat last week, will want to put everything in place to bounce back. If we look at them, they have got more players who are new in the team, so we need to have a positive approach in whatever we do for us to avoid any threat posed by a team willing to give it all against us.”
The gaffer, who has four successive TNM Super League titles to his name and eyeing a fifth one, wants Bullets to travel to Lilongwe with a positive mindset, asking his charges not to be complacent, saying having a good record over Sunday’s opposition does not, in any way, make the league leaders favourites.
“If you have the right sense of mind, the right approach and not underrating any opposition that comes in front of you will make you win games. But when we are playing games from a winning run and take it into [our] heads saying we are winning, it won’t end well.
“Winning a game requires us to fight for every game that is on the table. We need to win duels, and second balls when we are playing away from home. As much as we respect our opponents, we have been playing them and it’s a very good team in terms of how they fare, they build up from the back, but it’s going to be very interesting and we are geared to go. As Bullets, we have our motto whereby any team that comes, we need to go out and put everything.”
The People’s Team had several key players injured at the start of the season but most of them have recovered, leaving Pasuwa in a selection dilemma.
The head coach however believes it’s healthy for Bullets to have two to three players competing for the same slot in the starting eleven.
“It’s healthy for us to have competition for places in the team. We are having replacements whenever we suffer injuries, players who can come in and do the job for us, something which was lacking in the past but now, we are okay regardless of who is available for selection.”
Pasuwa also provided early team news ahead of Bullets’ trip to the capital.
“We will likely go to Lilongwe without Clyde Senaji who is having an injury to his back, Yamikani Fodya who got injured on Tuesday, Eric Kaonga who was sick and hasn’t resumed training and Hassan Kajoke who is still recovering from the injury he sustained during our win against Moyale Barracks a fortnight ago. We hope to see these guys fit next week. But the rest of the players are ready to be selected for this assignment.”
Bullets are expected to leave for Lilongwe on Saturday morning.
