FCB Nyasa Big Bullets Women fell 1-0 to Silver Strikers Ladies in a closely contested NBM Women’s Premiership match played at Mpira Stadium on Wednesday afternoon.
The defeat ended the Maule Ladies’ two-match winning streak and came just days after their spirited 1-0 Blantyre derby victory over Mighty Wanderers Queens.
Maggie Chombo’s side went into the tie full of confidence, sitting third in the standings with 13 points after seven games, but were undone by a second-half strike against the unbeaten league leaders.
Silver Ladies, who have now stretched their perfect record to eight wins from eight matches, remain top of the table.
Bullets—also having played eight—stay third with 13 points and will look to regroup and bounce back stronger in the coming fixtures.
First Half Action
Both sides started brightly, showing intent to dominate possession. Bullets had an early chance when Lyna James’ teasing corner found Bernadetta Mkandawire, but the defender’s header went narrowly wide.
Moments later, captain Zainab Kapanda was forced off with an injury and replaced by Chikondi Mgodi in the 21st minute, an early setback for the hosts.
The visitors responded with attacking intent and nearly broke the deadlock through Ireen Khumalo, but goalkeeper Thokozani Mwase was equal to the task, making an excellent save from a well-taken free kick.
As the half wore on, both teams battled fiercely in midfield, though clear-cut chances were limited.
The first half ended goalless after five minutes of stoppage time, with Mwase producing another fine stop to deny Silver just before the break.
Second Half Action
Silver came out stronger after the restart, taking the lead in the 49th minute when Deborah Henry found space inside the box to fire home the opener.
Maggie Chombo’s side introduced Ioulia Yiannakis for Fauzah Muhammad in search of an equalizer, while later bringing on Linda Nyangu after Mgodi picked up a knee injury.
Bullets pushed forward but found it difficult to break through Silver’s disciplined defense.
The visitors almost doubled their lead late on, only for Henry’s second goal to be ruled out for offside.
Despite a spirited late push during seven minutes of added time, Bullets couldn’t find a breakthrough and fell narrowly at home.
Post-Match Reaction
Chombo admitted her side struggled to maintain their first-half rhythm in the second period.
“In the first half, we played very well, but in the second half we didn’t perform to the same level and ended up conceding an easy goal due to a defensive lapse,” she said.
“However, I should thank the girls — they showed great quality and worked very hard throughout the game, even though we lost.”
The coach also pointed out that injuries continue to affect her tactical approach and squad rotation.
“We have a number of injured players, and that’s really costing our game plan,” Chombo explained. “But we must utilize the players available and make sure we get results going forward.”
She further acknowledged the physical toll of a demanding schedule, noting the resilience of her players despite fatigue.
“Playing three games in the space of nine days hasn’t been easy. The girls are tired, but that’s part of football. We’ll recover and focus on our next assignment. Congratulations to Silver Strikers for their win.”
Looking Ahead
Following Wednesday’s match, focus now shifts to national duty as several Bullets Women players have joined the Malawi women’s national team camp, which kicked off today in Blantyre ahead of this month’s WAFCON Qualifiers against Angola.
Goalkeeper Thokozani Mwase, defenders Bernadetta Mkandawire and Sharon Dzimau, along with midfielder and captain Zainab Kapanda, have all been called into Coach Lovemore Fazili’s provisional squad.
The Scorchers will travel to Angola for the first leg on Thursday, 23 October, before hosting the return fixture on Tuesday, 28 October at Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe.
