FCB Nyasa Big Bullets head coach Kalisto Pasuwa held a pre-match press conference ahead of Saturday’s Castel Challenge Cup Round-of-64 tie against Kumanda All Stars at Kamuzu Stadium.
Pasuwa tackled several issues, ranging from preparation to facing an unknown team, the squad he is expected to feature, and injuries. He also touched on Bullets contributing one player to the latest Malawi national team squad.
Read every word Pasuwa had to say in the media briefing below…
On our preparations for Saturday’s match…
Coming off a league match against Mafco, I think we have been having a scenario where we were travelling a lot. So mostly, we were dealing with the recovery part, and I think by now, we are in a position where most of the guys are ready to go. Coming to the game we are playing, it’s key to us, and we have been preparing the same way we prepare for other teams. As you know, as Bullets, any team that comes in front of us wants to impress, and you can even see the intensity that is used by these opponents. It shows a lot in them, so it’s a challenge for us to prepare well for us to go through.
On our familiarity with the opponents…
Not familiar with them. We have never seen them playing, but again, as I said, these unknown teams that come in front of us will give us a torrid time, hence the need to be very positive in our approach. We mustn’t take it to say we are playing an unknown team. It’s a team that wants to be known after playing Bullets, so those are more dangerous than the known teams.
On how the players are preparing facing an unknown team…
It’s a challenge to them. Playing for Bullets requires one to always be ready, and I have been talking to the players playing for Bullets to prepare for each one who comes in front of you. They saw it last time [when we faced Lipulumundu]. And, of course, we have new players, but to those who were around, I think they saw how that team played against us. They played good football, and we had to score in the second half of the game, which means they did well in the [first] 45 minutes. We expect the same experience when meeting [Kumanda All Stars].
On which players to expect on Saturday…
If you can see the way I have been dealing with these players, each and everyone has been playing, and I think even one or two players who are coming from injuries have been given opportunities to play, and we can’t say they are fringe. Yes, of course, we need results, and we need not underrate our opponents, so for every player that we registered, I need them to prepare, and when I throw them in, he should be ready to win.
On fighting for the remaining silverware after surrendering the FDH Bank Cup…
Last year, we won everything and remember, when you do well in a particular area, the next time you come, you need to prepare well to push a step of everyone. Yes, we started the season slowly, and we had so many injuries. We finished travelling, and we had so many injuries, and we started the new season the way we finished last season by travelling a lot. I am now getting the players who got injured last year in October; two have recovered and are back. Now, coming to your question, as a coach, it’s football, but what I need is for the boys to look up and not to look down to say we have lost [one cup already] and then say everything is gone. We will play until the end of the season and see the end of it.
On injuries…
We have Ephraim Kondowe. He is training with the guys now. We have Clever Mkungula. I think you saw the last game; he was on the bench, and he is one of the guys who went the whole season without playing. We also have Alick and Mike, who are still in rehab, but again, we will have to talk to the doctors and see where they are. Then, we added Wongani [on the injury list last Sunday]. This week, Wongani hasn’t been on the [training] ground. He has been with the medical team, and we will have to hear from the doctors about how he is right now.
On Bullets contributing only one player to the latest Malawi squad…
Every coach who comes and takes care of his team has reasons why he would choose a certain player. Maybe I can have a game in two days, and I have players whom I know in and out to say tactically, I can take these and go and win with them, and in this scenario of having one player in the national team, we can’t deny that they took one player from us. Of course, they have been taking many players before, but that’s according to how the coach needs to plan the two games which are coming [against Senegal]. I even told the players to work hard to improve for them to be called [for national duties]. And remember, we also had some of the players [Patrick Mwaungulu and Lanjesi Nkhoma] who are now playing in DRC. They were playing for Bullets, and they were called. Unfortunately, now it’s a challenge to our team, to the players who are around to give a good picture of saying they need to play for the national team.
