Fresh from being booted out of the Caf Champions League by continental giants TP Mazembe in Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of Congo, FCB Nyasa Big Bullets returned to action in the TNM Super League with a scrappy 1-0 win over rookies Bangwe All Stars at Kamuzu Stadium in Blantyre Wednesday.
Patrick Mwaungulu helped the defending champions to collect full points with his 79th minute goal to displace Chitipa United from second position with 43 points from 20 matches.
It was a match which would have seen either side hitting the back of the net much earlier but their attackers kept missing the target on several occasions.
Bangwe were better in terms of possession, with Fanizo Mwansambo and Talandira Chigaula at the heart of their best moves.
Bangwe were so determined to collect points from the match that they kept knocking at Bullets’ door, wave after wave.
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So intense was the pressure from the rookies that they kept Bullets goalkeeper Rabson Chiyenda busy throughout the match as he jealously guarded his goal.
In the second half, the tide changed in Bullets’ favour and it was not surprising to see Mwaungulu breaking the deadlock, much to the relief of their supporters.
The pint-sized attacker benefitted from Bangwe goalkeeper Elias Missi, who fumbled the ball towards Mwaungulu, who had the simple task of curling the ball into the net for the priceless goal.
After the match, Bullets Coach Kalisto Pasuwa said his charges were tired after arriving in the country from Lubumbashi on Monday.
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“We did not play our game, more especially in the first half. We struggled quite a lot but managed to get our act together in the second half. The biggest problem in our camp is injuries. But we are still trying to play our game,” Pasuwa said.
His Bangwe counterpart Abel Mkandawire said he was disappointed with the result.
“We were in full control of the match but my players failed to manage it. We did our homework quite well but unfortunately, we lacked concentration in the second half. This is a match we could have won. It is just that luck was not on our side. But we will keep moving forward. We still have matches to play and concentration will be of paramount importance,” Mkandawire said.
In other matches, Red Lions came from behind to beat Karonga United 3-2 while Mafco have beaten Ekwendeni Hammers 2-0.
