Bullets set derby hype
FCB Nyasa Bullets have declared that despite their struggles so far this season, they will come out triumphant in tomorrow’s Blantyre derby in the FDH Bank Cup round of 16 at Kamuzu Stadium in Blantyre.
The People’s Team acting chief executive officer (CEO) Albert Chigoga said in an interview yesterday that they are not in a cold sweat in the countdown to the latest episode of the most sought-after fixture on the domestic scene.
He said: “Of course, we have gone through a bad patch of late, but people should not read much into that. This is a derby and there is a lot at stake. Just as a reminder, we are the holders.
“We are the most resilient football team in the land. Our philosophy is epitomised by a never-say-die attitude.
“There is a lot of talk from the other side of town, but we will shut up our noisy neighbours on Sunday.”
Chigoga said their players are aware of what is at stake.
“I appeal to our fans to throng the Kamuzu Stadium to cheer their team and we further appeal to them to desist from acts of violence and they will be repaid for their faith and love for their team,” he said.
His upbeat talk comes amid reports that the club’s management summoned the technical panel earlier in the week following a string of poor results with push coming to shove when they lost 2-1 to Karonga United last Sunday in the TNM Super League.
However, Chigoga played down the issue, saying: “This is done more often than not. Of course, some of the technical information cannot be shared.”
In a related development, the team’s main supporters committee on Thursday met some supporters in Blantyre to assure them that the situation will be addressed.
The committee’s chairperson Stone ‘Anyono’ Mwamadi confirmed the meeting, saying it was meant to clarify some issues.
He,however, acknowledged that the supporters made their stand clear that they are disappointed with the team’s performance.
Said Mwamadi: “We called for the meeting because a lot was being said about the team’s poor run with some quarters speculating that the players were not getting their dues and as a result, they were not giving out their best.
“It is not a secret that the team hasn’t done well since the season started. But we assured them that the players are getting their dues in time and are not owed anything.
“We further explained to them that one of the reasons the team is not doing well is because some players lack the fighting spirit and are not playing for the badge. They do not have the same commitment and passion that the likes of Fischer Kondowe and Rahim Ishmail had during their time.”
He said they have assured the supporters that they will see change starting with tomorrow’s game.
“We have also asked them to refrain from violence because the team lost a fortune through fines in the league match against Silver Strikers. The club president [Konrad] Buckle is pumping in a lot of money for the team’s operations and it is not fair that he should be folking out more towards fines,” said Mwamadi.
Meanwhile, Wanderers have said they cannot be swayed by Bullets’ struggles.
The Nomads’ CEO Panganeni Ndovi said: “This promises to be a tough game that needs no introduction. We believe that it will be a good fight that will require everyone to turn up in good spirits for the game.
“Our players are geared up to turn the statistics around. These are the sort of games that define them and they are looking forward to stamp their authority as the pride of Blantyre.
“The fans should come in large numbers and cheer the team they love the most. At the end of the day, there will only be one winner and they are the 12th player that will fight with the players till the end of the game.”
The last time the two teams met in the same competition was in the semi-final of the 2022 edition and Bullets won 4-0 at Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe.
