FCB Nyasa Big Bullets have squeezed themselves into the top three of the TNM Super League log table following their 2-1 win over their noisy neighbors, Mighty Mukuru Wanderers, at Kamuzu Stadium on Saturday.
Zimbabwean midfielder, Ronald Chitiyo forged the visitors ahead as he scored seven minutes into the game before Babatunde Adepoju tapped home his eighth goal against his former team five minutes before the break to give Bullets a 2-goal advantage at the recess.
The Cameroonian striker, Sama Tanjong, scored late in the game after the towering defender, Lawrence Chaziya, was sent off, but the late effort couldn’t salvage a point for the Nomads, extending struggling in the derby as they have just won the one game in regulation time in their last 28 rival fights.
Meke Mwase’s side’s next two assignments will give them the direction for their title chase as they will be travelling to Chitipa United next week before facing Silver Strikers at home the following week. They are second, but a defeat denies them the opportunity to squeeze within three points behind the Bankers; they remain six points from the top of the table.
FCB Nyasa Big Bullets have taken themselves into the serious title challenge, but they will have to avoid a slip-up in their next assignments; they have a crucial game against Friends of Mulanje Orphans, FOMO Football Club, before taking on Mighty Waka Waka Tigers.
How the game unfolded? Off the back of a shock 1-0 defeat to Karonga United, Wanderers were looking to bounce back but beating their cross-town rivals couldn’t come facilely. Mwase handed start to his two semi-senior players, Dan Kudonto and Adam Wallace and Stanley Sanudi, who missed the team’s previous two games, was restored into the starting Xi, banking on his experience.
On the other side, the people’s team wouldn’t imagine losing the game and conceding a defeat in the title race with seven games to go before wrapping up their season.
Kalisto Pasuwa banked on the form of his striker, Babatunde Adepoju, and the combination with Maxwell Gastin Phodo has been good. Hence, the two strikers started in the coach’s 4-4-2 formation.
The Nomads couldn’t foresee succumbing to their second defeat on the bounce, but they did. Wanderers failed to contain the Bullets’ high pressing, and they conceded two goals in the opening 45 minutes, a repetition of the previous meeting [FDH Bank Cup tie].
FCB Nyasa Big Bullets were pressing with four players [two strikers, one winger, and one attacking midfielder], forcing their hosts to make blunders. Mwase conceded in the post-match reactions that his defence was shaky; the team failed to communicate well, giving Chitiyo the chance to put Bullets ahead.
The former Dynamos attacker sneaked through the hosts’ defence to pounce on Nickson Nyasulu’s long pass before rifling it beyond the keeper, Williams Thole, who has now conceded in three consecutive games [two league games, one national team game] after keeping clean sheets in seven consecutive games.
Bullets’ high-pressing was a key to Wanderers’ struggles in the game and Thole’s error nearly stunned the Nomads as Chitiyo’s powerful effort landed in Thole’s pair of arms.
Bullets were quick in transition, and they nearly harvested, but Thole was good enough to push away Babatunde’s lob. Kudonto was taken off early in the game, and Wallace shone. Adam challenged Yamikani Mologeni on the left but his cutback was defended by Bullets.
When they were pushing for an equalizer, the Wanderers found themselves two goals behind as Wongani Lungu stole the ball from Felix Zulu before unselfishly laying off the ball to Adepoju, who tapped it home in the 40th minute. Bullets were close to getting their third goal but Thole denied them.
In the second half, Bullets started brightly, Phodo forcing Thole to make a save, Babatunde calling Blessings Singini into defensive duties. From the shackles, Wanderers tried to have an interest in the game, but they failed to utilize a half-chance from a set-piece when Wisdom Mpinganjira won a free-kick close to the penalty area while Richard Chimbamba made a stunning save to deny William Silwimba from reducing the arrears.
Wanderers were reduced to 10 men after the skipper, Lawrence Chaziya was sent off after accumulating his second yellow card on the day, but the red card couldn’t deny the Nomads a consolation goal as Sama Tanjong beat Chimbamba in the 87th minute.
Bullets recorded their first Derby win in the league since 2022 in the first round when they won with the same scoreline and Mighty Mukuru Wanderers have just recorded one league win over their neighbors since 2013.
