Grand finale
Spontaneous parties erupted nationwide yesterday as jubilant Big Bullets FC fans celebrated their team’s official 2015 TNM Super League crowning.
The capital city’s central business area is normally quiet on Sundays, but minutes after 5pm yesterday, a convoy of all kinds of vehicles from luxury cars, commuter omnibuses, conventional buses, lorries to the run down cars, blaring horns as fans made their way from Civo Stadium where the People’s Team wound up their campaign in spectacular fashion with a 3-1 win over Civo United.
Most of the cars either had the red and white Bullets flags protruding from the windows while the more fanatic fans toyi-toyed all the way from the stadium into the city centre.
While some made their way home, others headed for different bars as the capital city danced to the Bullets’ tune.
It was a hugely significant win for Bullets who not only retained the title but did it to perfection with a yawning 16-point gap and their talisman Chiukepo Msowoya won the Golden Boot Award after overtaking Red Lions’ Innocent Bokosi.
Bullets put up a display expected of champions in front of their prospective sponsors Nyasa Manufacturing Company (NMC) and Minister of Sports and Culture Grace Chiumia.
The hosts nearly spoiled the Bullets title celebrations after going ahead five minutes into the match through a Gerald Nkungula goal.
Nkungula was well positioned in the box to connect home a seemingly harmless free kick from Nelson Kangunje as Bullets defender Yamikani Fodya looked on helplessly.
The champions levelled the scores 25 minutes later through Chiukepo.
Mussa Manyenje made it 2-1 eight minutes into the second halfin predatory fashion.
Manyenje cleverly evaded his marker John Lanjesi to meet a well timed Henry Kabichi cross and bury the ball into the net past a stranded Civo goalkeeper Duncan Mkandawire.
It was not long before Bullets killed the game when Chiukepo curved a free kick from over 25 metres.
Bullets coach Mabvuto Lungu said it was important to win convincingly.
“ We needed to make a statement that it is not a fluke that we have been crowned champions, “ said Lungu. n
