Kalisto Pasuwa faced the media on Thursday ahead of the highly-anticipated Blantyre derby against rivals Mighty Mukuru Wanderers in the TNM Super League.
On Saturday, The People’s Team will be the away side at Kamuzu Stadium, taking on the blue side of town in the 77th Blantyre derby, a battle not only for points but also for the city’s bragging rights.
Bullets, with 37 points, will be looking to beat the Nomads to reduce the gap against our rivals to four points and move to third position in the standings.
Pasuwa was quizzed on Bullets’ readiness, expectations, what it will take to collect all points after registering draws in previous derbies, and more.
You can read the full transcript of his media briefing. The full video is also available below.
On Bullets’ preparedness for the upcoming biggest fixture in Malawi…
“Thank you very much. Good morning. As you know, we last played over the weekend, and all the boys, I think, as of now, it’s only two or three players who are still nursing injuries, but in most of the squad that we have, all of them are back, and each and everyone knows what it is to play a derby. I think, as coaches, this week, it can be one of those areas where we say it will be easier for us in motivating them. They know what they want at the end of the day and a derby is something that one can be recorded to say 2024, I was part of a derby that was played at Kamuzu Stadium, and we were the winners; hence you see me talking about the motivation part of it, which is not a great part on our area. But again, we are not saying we should leave it like that. Yes, we have done our part, and we hope also that in the last two days that are left, we will polish up what needs to be polished.”
On most of the recent league derbies ending in stalemates…
“Yes, that can easily mean to say derbies are very tough games. In us, seeing at times in getting the draws, it doesn’t mean we need a draw, but it’s part of the game. A coach always trains his team to win, and at the end of the day, maybe after having said you need a win, you end up having the other result, which is part of football. So, I think we need to be very positive; we also need to improve in some areas where we were very complacent when we were playing against them by leaving them to dominate in more areas in terms of possession. So, we are saying, let’s go out and improve again on where we left.”
On the difference between league and knockout matches…
“I talked of mindset on these games. You see, in a league, one can go [into a match] saying we are here for three results. Maybe we can win, go for a draw or a defeat. Then how do you manage a win? One would say maybe I need to go all out so that we can have a win. They score, they close doors, but in a cup game, it’s one result that is needed. Hence, you see a team may be throwing up everything in them in order for them to go through.”
On the importance of winning on Saturday, considering Bullets’ position in the log table…
“A derby is a derby or even if we are at the bottom of the table, playing Wanderers, it could have been one of those games where I could say the boys are saying we need to go head-on, we can do it.”
On the latest signings having their debut Blantyre derby…
“One, you will see how one trains; you will see how one may respond, and remember this is a derby where to some of the players, we have been buying them from the so-called small teams in terms of supporters base where they don’t have many supporters in the stands, then you play another team like Wanderers in a derby. You need, as a coach, to look around to see how one boy can respond. Am I not putting him under pressure? Is he ready to be part of the derby? So, we will be seeing how best they can fare when we get to the game.”
On the supporters not coming to Kamuzu Stadium in large numbers…
“Yes, we are together, and they have been with us through and through, and yes, it is something that I have been talking to the players and the technical staff that we chased supporters out of the stadium, we need to bring them back and to bring them back it’s all about results. A supporter gets his money to come for a win. He doesn’t even want a defeat. The moment you go two to three defeats, he stays home. So, the more they look for their money, we also need to reward them and make them see beautiful football. Yes, we might not win, but something that can make them happy will be the order of the day.”
On Bullets playing the first derby after the departure of Patrick Mwaungulu and Lanjesi Nkhoma…
“As coaches, when we are coaching these players, we coach them as a team, to win [games] as a team. Yes, the individuals can rise up in the derby and be part of a win. Yes, that’s the challenge to the boys who are around to say we need to carry on where the other guys left and be part of history-making.
