Bullets cry foul over penalties
Struggling giants FCB Nyasa Bullets have gone 23 matches without being awarded a penalty in open play in all competitions in the 2024 season.
The TNM Super League defending champions have played 17 league matches as the season heads into the last three months.
Bullets also played five FDH Bank Cup matches on the way to the final which they lost to Blue Eagles in post-match penalties.
They have started their Airtel Top 8 title defence with a 2-0 victory over Civil Service United in a quarter-final first leg.
At this juncture last year, Bullets had at least eight penalties in cup and league matches on their way to a clean sweep of all trophies.
Bullets acting chief executive officer Albert Chigoga suspected a conspiracy against his side, saying this is happening despite the team being in situations where the referees would have awarded them penalties.
He said: “It would seem that way. We don’t know how and why it is happening. At the end of it all, sporting integrity requires impartiality of application of the laws of the game.”
Bullets have rued referees’ failure to award penalties in matches against Blue Eagles in the FDH Bank Cup final; against Karonga United, Silver Strikers, Moyale Barracks, Mighty Mukuru Wanderers, Creck Sporting, Premier Bet Dedza Dynamos and Bangwe All Stars in Super League, just to mention a few.
Asked why they have not officially lodged complaints with authorities, Chigoga said they do not want to appear to be ‘cry babies’.
But football analyst Raymond Siyaya is of the view that Bullets have not done much to attract penalties in their matches.
He said: “This season, Bullets have not been able to build up play into the final third of defending teams and force errors, contact fouls, or handballs for the referees to award them penalties.
“They have just not been smart, sleek and dangerous enough in the final third and that’s why they are the least scorers with 19 goals in the top 10 of the table.”
Meanwhile, Bullets today host Chitipa United at Kamuzu Stadium in Blantyre.
The People’s Team are 10th with 24 points from 17 matches, 21 points behind leaders, Silver Strikers.
They have lost three matches to Karonga United, Bangwe All Stars and Silver Strikers, the most they have in the TNM Super League since 2012.
Coach Kallisto Pasuwa has expressed concern over the team’s continued failure to replicate last year’s performance.
