FCB Nyasa Big Bullets Women were held to a 1-1 draw by Civil Service United Women in a fiercely contested NBM Women’s Premiership fixture at Nakhaka Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
The result saw The People’s Team extend their unbeaten run to three matches, wrapping up the first round of the season on a solid note.
First Half Action
Bullets started brightly, dictating the early tempo and creating several promising opportunities. In the 13th minute, Asimenye Mwanyongo forced Civil goalkeeper Martha Cosmas into a fine save with a long-range effort.
Just four minutes later, Mwanyongo turned provider, floating a perfectly weighted ball into space for Monalisa Mhango, who kept her composure to slot home and hand The People’s Team a deserved 1-0 lead.
Leah Musa was lively down the right flank, combining well with Mwanyongo and Sharon Dzimau to stretch the Civil defence and deliver dangerous crosses into the box.
The visitors continued to press forward, with Dzimau’s well-struck free kick narrowly missing the target in the 20th minute. Twelve minutes later, Vanessa Issa came agonisingly close to doubling the advantage when her effort struck the upright after a clever setup from Mwanyongo.
Civil threatened towards the end of the half, but Bullets remained compact in defence, with Bernadetta Mkandawire marshalling the backline to ensure the 1-0 lead stood going into the break.
Second Half Action
Civil returned from the interval with more urgency and began pushing for an equaliser. Their pressure eventually paid off in the 59th minute when Mercy Vitumbiko Mkandawire pounced on a loose ball inside the area to make it 1-1.
Head coach Maggie Chombo responded with tactical substitutions, introducing Florida Safilodi for Mhango and Ioulia Yiannakis for Musa to restore attacking momentum. Later, Carol Puna Mulenza was also brought in to add pace and width.
The changes had an impact as Bullets regained control of possession and continued to threaten. Yiannakis impressed after coming on, showing composure and energy on the ball while forcing a save from distance. Safilodi and Issa also linked up well down the flank, keeping Civil’s backline under pressure.
Despite dominating the final minutes, The People’s Team couldn’t find a winner as Civil defended resolutely to hold on for a point.
Post-Match Reaction
Reflecting on the match, head coach Maggie Chombo praised her team’s discipline and fighting spirit despite missing several scoring opportunities.
“The girls played with great commitment and heart. We dominated for long stretches and created enough chances to win, but football can be unforgiving when you don’t take them. I’m proud of their work rate and attitude, and we’ll use this as motivation to improve going forward,” said Chombo.
What It Means
The 1-1 draw marked the final fixture of the first round of the NBM Women’s Premiership, with The People’s Team finishing fourth on the table with 14 points from nine matches — level with Mighty Wanderers Queens but ahead on goal difference.
Silver Strikers Ladies lead the standings with 27 points, followed by Ascent Soccer Academy on 20 and MDF Lioness on 15.
As the competition heads into the second round, Coach Maggie Chombo’s side will look to regroup and build on their consistency as the push for a top-three finish continues.
