BB win torches celebrations

The red side of town burst into spontaneous parties in some parts of Blantyre, in particular Ndirande Township, as Big Bullets fans celebrated their Presidential Cup final qualification following their penalty shoot-out victory over Escom United on Sunday.

Kamuzu Stadium, the scene of the do-or-die battle, was turned into a sea of red and white as the fans danced to the Bullets rhythm to salute their first cup final qualification in four years.

It took Bullets team bus over an hour to get to their Mandala clubhouse as overzealous fans forced it to move at snail’s pace and in Ndirande Township, most of the fans partied to the wee hours.

The last time the People’s Team qualified for the finals was in 2008 in the Standard Bank Cup.

Chikumbutso Kanyenda, who missed the decisive penalty in that final match against Moyale, was the toast of the evening after he converted the decisive penalty.

Kanyenda’s penalty strike was just the tonic that the Bullets faithful needed to get into the party mood that spread to various drinking spots.

“I am delighted that I have made amends for that miss which has been haunting me for all these years, but there is still one more hurdle to clear and that is to win the actual cup against Moyale,” said Kanyenda who is currently one of the team’s longest serving members.

Kanyenda said he was filled with tension as he stepped up to take the penalty.

“It is never easy stepping up on such a big occasion when all eyes are on you.

“But I remained firmly focused because I knew that just one slip could prove fatal. It’s good to see the fans dancing jigs of celebration,” said Kanyenda.

He also admitted that Bullets were lucky to win the match.

“Penalties can go either way and you cannot be too sure that is why even big-name players such as Roberto Baggio, David Beckham, John Terry and Asamoah Gyan have missed decisive penalties at some point.

Bullets diehard Timothy Misomali said: “It has been a very long time since we qualified for the finals and I will drink all night long.

“It was a very tense game that could have gone either way.”

The team’s chief supporter Raphael Nasimba said: “I will have a peaceful sleep, but we know the battle is not over yet. We need to win the final match against Moyale. Otherwise, all this effort will be useless.”