FCB Nyasa Big Bullets head coach Kalisto Pasuwa faced the media on Wednesday for his pre-match press conference ahead of the midweek TNM Super League fixture against Premier Bet Dedza Dynamos at Kamuzu Stadium.
Pasuwa responded to several questions, including recent rumours linking him to the Malawi national team job. He also provided updates on his squad, his thoughts on Dedza, and more.
Read on for Pasuwa’s full transcript of the media briefing.
On facing Dedza after a successful outing away to rivals Mighty Mukuru Wanderers…
We are playing Dedza Dynamos after our game against Mighty Mukuru Wanderers, and that game is over. Like I said last week, as a coach, our job is not that much when working with players before the derby, and if you look at these other teams like Dedza and those that we call small teams, they are the ones that give us problems. One thing I can say is the mental part of it where we go into a game, thinking everything will be easy. We played a derby, and we are meeting Dedza, and then you think you can get points without fighting for them. But football is different, and also, remember, these [players from other teams] are the guys that need to be seen. They also need to be part of playing for the Bullets. You will see the performance maybe on another level. So, we have prepared [our players’] mindset to prepare for anyone who comes in front of us so that we are winners.
On playing Mapemba in an unfamiliar position in the previous game…
He is still very young, and you see, when coaching a young player, at times, you can do whatever you want to do for as long as he is listening to what you are doing. Mapemba, if you can look at him, his average age is 24, which means he is a boy we can play in midfield, as a striker, a boy who can play as a full back/wing back. He is still young; he can do it, and I promise we are expecting more from him. He has the energy of going up and down.
On maintaining the system which Bullets used during the Blantyre derby…
I would say it depends on the kind of surfaces we are using. Mostly, when we are playing away from home, we try to play basic football by using a formation that will get us into the attacking third as quickly as possible.
On Collin Mujuru and Clyde Senaji not playing…
On players who are not playing, especially Clyde Senaji, we talk of Colin Mujuru. It’s all to do with fitness. I think the way they were playing before is no longer the way they are now. We need them, especially Senaji, to shed weight for him to be a complete player, and I expect more from him. Everyone can agree with me, and if he is okay, you will see him in the field of play, but as of now, we are still working with him, and I think he will lose weight and be ready to play.
On starting Wongani Lungu over Lloyd Aaron in the previous two games…
There is nothing much. I look at a team and remember, as Bullets, we have gone scientifically in monitoring these boys, especially on the distance covered and also the way they play complete passes; what is it a player is doing that can help the team offensively? We always sit down and see what a player is doing for us to be in the attacking third, and then we prefer a better player than the other one? We are not looking at names. We also look at how they are performing in the training sessions apart from the data.
On Lameck Gamphani not having game time than Wongani after the two arrived at Bullets at the same time…
If I can tell you right now, we have got more than 32 players who are fit. Remember, we had a lot of guys who had been injured, and we replaced them with the new players who came in, and it has been tough. If you look at Stanley Billiat, he has been with Bullets for so many years, and we brought in Peter Banda, we brought in Chikumbutso Salima, and we brought in Lanjesi Nkhoma and Patrick Mwaungulu. All these players were playing on one side, and that’s the main problem Billiat has been facing, and it was a case of him being injured. Someone would come in and fill up the void. So, it depends on how one fares in training and even in games that can make a player part of the team. It doesn’t matter if you have a name, but it’s the performance part of it that will make you be in the team.
On challenging Silver Strikers for the title…
As Bullets, like I have been telling everyone, we don’t look much at what others are doing. The moment you look at your neighbour to see what he is eating, maybe you can’t afford whatever he is doing. You do your own system of play; you do whatever you are capable of doing, and then, at the end of the day, you see how it comes. We are just playing our games as Bullets, and then at the end of the season, we can talk about how the games ended.
On Bullets rotating goalkeepers and not having a first-choice goalie…
Like I have been saying, I can say Richard Chimbamba is my number one goalkeeper. Then, Chimbamba has weaknesses and strengths, and we also look at life outside the field. What is it that he is doing? Is he a senior player who can lead others in the field of play? And if I can tell you today, Chimbamba is one of the best goalkeepers in Malawi, but it’s the other part of it. Life outside the field of play makes him be in and out of the team, and you look at Innocent Nyasulu, we have been changing. If you are using short defenders, obviously, he will come in goals to cover up and compensate for the height part of it, but as of now, if you look at Innocent, he is still struggling when we are playing the offensive part of it when we are attacking. He struggles to be part of the attacking team mostly when we are caught on the counter, and it becomes a problem for him to cover and command the line in defence when it is a high line of defence.
On him being linked with the Malawi coach job…
I’m sorry, but I cannot answer that one as of now. Remember, I am at Bullets. It’s hearsay, and it never reached me to say I am being considered for the national team. So, I mustn’t be talking where I don’t belong. I am Bullets as of now. Thank you.
On whether having short players contributes to the Malawi national team’s poor showing…
Again, I wouldn’t talk much about the Flames. The only thing I can talk about is Bullets. I think it’s a good question, but I think there are people to answer that one.
On Bullets failing to keep clean sheets and conceding many goals this season…
We are failing to have leaders in the field of play in the team. As you can see on Wanderers, it’s becoming a norm to say if we throw stones against Bullets, the next thing they come at us, they score. This has happened twice when the game is stopped, and they score, so it’s a lack of concentration and also a failure to manage the game. We need someone who can manage the game. I heard someone talking of Senaji. The way he plays, if no one is attacking, you will see him holding the ball to bring them closer and then create spaces so that we pounce, but if you look at some of the players, if we have an advantage of one guy, we just kick the ball forward, and it becomes an issue, and it becomes 11 versus 11.
On Alick Lungu missing in action after having some minutes during the Castel Challenge Cup Round of 64…
On Alick Lungu, it’s all about to do with fitness. We will give you, and when I think he is not ready, I will take him back, and if he is ready, any day you’re going to see him. That’s a boy who can give you everything. Remember, he had a serious injury to his knee, and it needs time for him to recover fully, but it’s the fitness part of it, which we are still working on, and he still has more, and I think any day, you can see him coming back.
On Mike Mkwate’s injury update…
On Mike, he has been injured. I think on all the players, he is one boy who had a serious injury, and I think all of his two bones were broken, and in him coming back, or even training with us, at times, we try to manage him. I also need a specialist who will certify him to start playing with full-throttle and contact games. Today, he was training, and he has been training very well, but remember, we also consider the fitness level of the boy, and if he is certified, we will bring him back.
On having many options in the left back position following the return of Alick Lungu…
If you have seen the good part of us as Bullets, we try to make those boys play different roles. You can even see Alick Lungu playing in midfield, playing as a winger, as a defender, and it depends according to how we want to play on that particular day. In them, having three to four players, remember we were using Precious Phiri to the left side, but now all of them are back, and there was one time where we could play without having a left-footer in the team but now all of them are back, and we also need to be very patient enough with them, and if anything, we can throw them in, you can see all of them playing.
On assertions that he’s tactically ahead of the rest of the coaches in the TNM Super League…
No, I am just a coach. People outside can judge. I am just here to be in front of everyone, and maybe people can judge me. No, I can’t be walking around to brag that I am a tactical genius. Maybe you can judge me. That’s the right procedure.
