Trio’s departure shakes Bullets

 FCB Nyasa Bullets coach Kallisto Pasuwa has admitted that the TNM Super League champions found it tough playing without three key players in the international football bonanza held at the weekend.

During the four-team bonanza, Bullets, who finished bottom of the table, also failed to score in goalless draws against Mozambique’s Ferroviarro de Nampula and their local rivals Mighty Mukuru Wanderers as well as in the 1-0 loss to eventual champions União Desportiva do Songo, also of Mozambique.

After the bonanza, Pasuwa said the team lacked coordination.

He said: “I think these are combinations. When building up, you start from the back and there is no way we can talk about strikers only, a midfielder can score as well. It’s a combination that we need to rectify when we go back to training.

“We had Hassan Kajoke and Babatunde Adepoju who left so with these guys we are testing; we need one who can be scoring goals for us.”

 “Our strikers will get there. We have Anthony Mfune and Maxwell Gasten Phodo who are scorers, so it’s not a thing to worry about. We will come out good.”

Babatunde, who won the 2022 TNM Super League golden boot, joined Venda Academy of South Africa Second Division while Kajoke signed for Silver Strikers before the expiry of his contract, prompting Bullets to lodge a complaint with Football Association of Malawi.

The Zimbabwean tactician conceded that the central midfield also missed playmaker Idana, who joined Tanzania’s Mbeya FC, but has been loaned to Silver Strikers.

However, Pasuwa said he expects Mike Mkwate, who returned from South Africa a week ago after parting ways with Polokwane City, to fit in Idana’s shoes.

“I think the replacement for Chimwemwe Idana is Mike. Idana was a playmaker for us, so Mike [arriving] is a plus sign for us and on the scorers, we still need to find them,” he said.

While Bullets are waking up to the reality of the absence of the lost players, their rivals Wanderers seemed to be doing okay without playmaker Yamikani Chester who joined Mozambican club Costa do Sol.

The Nomads new signings Lawrence Chaziya, Christopher Kumwembe and Gaddie Chirwa fitted in well as the Nomads held Bullets and beat Nampula 2-1 to finish second.

National Football Coaches Association chairperson Aubrey Nankhuni observed that the gap between the Nomads and Bullets has been narrowed.

He said: “I think next season will be very competitive unlike in the past when Bullets dominated.”