men separated from boys
When Nyasa Big Bullets beat Mighty Mukuru Wanderers to make the FDH Bank Cup final an all-Bullets affair between the senior team and Bullets Reserves, many thought it would be a boring contest.
But yesterday, a multitude of fans, including Minster of Youth and Sports Richard Chimwendo Banda, that filled the Kamuzu Stadium in Blantyre to capacity, was treated to a three-course football dish as the seniors proved their superiority with a 3-1 win.
Contrary to perceptions that the Reserves would be walkovers, the juniors fought tooth and nail to frustrate their seniors.
But the beauty of it all was that the Bullets supporters draped in red and white cheered on both teams and celebrated the goals indiscriminately. They had no choice.
Gangly striker Babatunde Adepoju took advantage of a miscommunication between Reserves goalkeeper Ramadan John and his defenders to net the opener from a Gomezgani Chirwa assist in the 13th minute.
The goal sealed the Golden Boot for the Nigerian forward with five goals.
But Reserves took over proceedings and pinned their seniors. This paid off as they equalised through Happy Mphepo just before recess from a Chimwemwe Yasin set-piece.
The goal jolted Bullets to a realisation that the Reserves were capable of an upset.
To be safe, Bullets coach Kallisto Pasuwa pulled out playmaker Patrick Mwawungulu and striker Lanjesi Nkhoma, who were put on a leash by the Reserves, for Ernest Petro and Stanley Billiat.
Moments later, midfielder Chimwemwe Idana put Bullets back in front with a clever finish after he was set up by Chirwa in the 66th minute.
Chirwa came back to haunt Reserves, whipping in a dipping cross into the box for Anthony Mfune to nod home in in the 77th minute.
If there was any resistance in the juniors, the third goal killed whatever was left.
At one point the senior side stringed close to 20 passes with the juniors merely chasing their own shadows.
At the end of it all, the seniors had proved their superiority but albeit after a good run for their money, especially in the first half.
The players from both sides hugged and congratulated each other for a feat rarely seen in Malawi football when a junior team meets its senior in a final.
The last time this happened being in 1997 when the two sides also clashed in Press Cup final.
The juniors got a standing ovation from the supporters after a fairly-tale campaign which saw them boot out TNM Super League sides Mighty Tigers, Red Lions and Blue Eagles.
The seniors go home K25 million richer while the juniors get a consolidation of K7 million.
Pasuwa doffed a hat for the juniors calling them the future of Bullets.
For Enos Chatama, it was more than what he had expected from his charges after losing six players who were promoted to the seniors side at beginning of the season.
FDH Financial Holdings Limited chief executive officer William Mpinganjira, FDH Bank plc managing director Noel Mkulichi and Football Association of Malawi vice-president Jabbar Alide were among the high-profile personalities that graced the match.
