Bullets Reserves start title defence with win

Nyasa Big Bullets Reserves on Sunday made a good start to their ThumbsUp Southern Region Football Association (SRFA) Premier League title defence following a 3-0 thumping of Ntopwa FC at Kamuzu Stadium in Blantyre.

Chikumbutso Salima’s brace and Wongani Kaponya’s goal were enough to give their coach Enos Chatama hope for another successful season after losing a number of key players such as golden-boot winner Patrick Mwaungulu to their main team and other clubs.

Salima drew first blood in the eighth minute when he drove a powerful shot past Ntopwa goalkeeper Mando Dailesi before doubling Bullets Reserves’ lead in the 57th minute with another thunderbolt into the bottom corner.

Substitute Kaponya sealed the People’s Team victory just before additional time with a close-range finish inside the box.

“This is a morale-boosting win. After losing several key players, many people doubted our capability to compete,” Chatama said.

“Despite that, we have new players that are coping with our standard of play. They are young guys and we do not need to pile pressure on them. We need to give them confidence to grow game-by-game.”

Ntopwa owner and technical director Isaac Jomo Osman, whose side was relegated from the TNM Super League last season, admitted that they were out-played and said they will go back to the drawing board to pluck a win in the second-leg.

In other games on Sunday, Changalume Barracks thrashed hosts Nyasa United in Blantyre 4-0 while Staffords FC put their home advantage to good use as they thumped Destiny FC 3-0 at Mpira Stadium in Blantyre. Fomo beat The Boyz 2-1 in Mulanje while Ntaja United and MDF Marine settled for a goalless draw in Machinga.

ThumbsUp Premier Division was launched on Saturday with as Bangwe United beat hosts Bangula United 1-0 at Nsanje Youth Centre.

The other game in Blantyre, saw Mangochi United humbled hosts Immigration FC 2-1.

SRFA vice-chairperson Kingsley Simbeye said the Premier Division has 22 teams that have been divided into two groups.

“Each group will play home and away matches and the top-four will qualify for quarter-finals. We will then have the semi-finals and the final. Bottom-two teams in each group will be relegated to Division One,” he said.