* As a home team, they offer to collaborate with the Bankers to assess and cover the costs of repairing their team bus
* We want to make it clear that acts of violence are unacceptable and go against the very spirit of the game
* We vehemently condemn the actions of the fans responsible for this incident, says the team in a statement
By Duncan Mlanjira
In a very rare spirit of solidarity and sportsmanship, Nyasa Big Bullets have issued their “heartfelt apology” to Silver Strikers following the violence that occurred after their 0-1 loss to the Bankers in the TNM Super League 2024 match that led to Silver’s team bus damaged.
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In a statement issued today, Nyasa Big Bullets say they are “shocked and disappointed” by the acts of violence and have offered that as a home team, they will collaborate with the Bankers “to assess and cover the costs of repairing their team bus”.
“We want to make it clear that acts of violence are unacceptable and go against the very spirit of the game. We vehemently condemn the actions of the fans responsible for this incident,” said the team’s management while also welcoming SULOM decision to investigate the incidents and punish the perpetrators of the the violent acts.
“The club strongly believes that football is a sport that brings entertainment to people from all walks of life. Like any other sport, football is patronised be people of different age groups, including children.
As such, the safety of football stakeholders during football matches mustn’t be compromised,” said the defending champions, who after the result are placed 5th with 12 points from nine games of three wins and give draws.
They are 11 points behind Silver Strikers, who lead with 25 points followed by Kamuzu Barracks on second place with 10 points; Mzuzu City Hammers on third with 16 points and Mighty Wanderers on 4th with 15 points.
Following the fans’ disenchantment over the result on Sunday, Nyasa Big Bullets head coach Kalisto Pasuwa told the club’s media platform, Nyasabigbullets.com that he and his team will not look down or lose focus as a defeat is part of the game and there are still 21 more games to play in the TNM Super League 2024 title campaign.
The People’s Team, who needed to win to edge closer to leaders Silver Strikers, conceded in a dramatic turn of events in the 90th minute after taking a corner which was defended and the Bankers’ received the ball and dashed in a counter attack before Chinsinsi Maonga received a pass, who kept his fast pace before firing off the advancing goalkeeper.
“We must return to the dressing room and see the way forward,” he is quoted as saying by Nyasabigbullets.com. “Remember, we still have 21 more games to play and we can’t say we have lost this one and then we look down. We need to make the players raise their heads so that we can return to winning ways.”
Meanwhile, the TNM Super League 2024 will take a break this week to pave way for the Flames’s FIFA World Cup 2026™ qualifiers against Sao Tome on Thursday, June 6 at Bingu National Stadium before traveling to Malabo to face Equatorial Guinea on Monday, June 10.
The Flames regrouped yesterday ahead of the qualifiers and Nyasa Big Bullets have contributed five players to coach Patrick Mabedi’s 26-man squad — goalkeeper Innocent Nyasulu, defender Precious Sambani and midfielders Lanjesi Nkhoma, Lloyd Aaron and Patrick Mwaungulu.
Mabedi has nine players from Silver Strikers alone — goalkeeper George Chikooka, who holds five clean sheets in the nine TNM Super League 2024 title race matches, as well as Maxwell Paipi, Tatenda M’balaka, McDonald Lameck, Nickson John Mwase in defence and Chimwemwe Idana, Patrick Macheso, Uchizi Vunga and Chikondi Kamanga in midfield.
Mighty Wanderers have defenders Stanley Sanudi, Lawrence Chaiya midfielders Blessings Singini, Wisdom Mpinganjira and missing in the usual call up for strikers are Gaddie Chirwa and Christopher Kumwembe.
Kumwembe, who netted his team’s first goal in their 3-1 triumph over Dedza Dynamos on Saturday picked up an injury and missing on Mabedi’s list of foreign-based players is striker Gabadhino Mhango.
The coached named six foreign-based players — goalkeeper Brighton Munthali (Black Leopards, South Africa); defender Denis Chembezi (Al-Qasim SC, Iraq); captain John Banda (UD Songo, Mozambique); Zambia based trio of strikers Chifundo Mphasi (Kabwe Warriors) and Chawanangwa Kaonga, midfielder Robert Saizi (both ZANACO) as well as USA-based striker Henry Mwayi Kumwenda (Butler Men’s Soccer).
Other players are goalkeeper Innocent Nyasulu (Nyasa Big Bullets); defenders Precious Sambani (Nyasa Big Bullets); midfielders Lanjesi Nkhoma, Lloyd Aaron and Patrick Mwaungulu (Nyasa Big Bullets).
The Flames are in Group H alongside Namibia, Tunisia, Equatorial Guinea and São Tomé e Principe in which Tunisia, lead the group after winning their Marchday 1 & 2 matches against São Tomé e Principe (4-0) and 1-0 away win against the Flames at Bingu.
They tying on six points with Equatorial Guinea but FIFA has forfeited their two wins of 1-0 each against Namibia and Liberia for featuring an ineligible player, Emilio Nsue — who scored both goals.
Following FIFA’s decision in which the west African country lost 0-3 each, the Equatoguineans droped to the bottom of the group — joining São Tomé e Principe without a point.
Namibia and Tunisia share six points apiece and both have same goal difference of five while Liberia and the Flames also tie on three points but are now 3rd and 4th respectively as they are separated by goal difference.
Namibia — who have been energised have been awarded three points and three goals making their total of goals at five, will meet Liberia on neutral venue in Johannesburg, South Africa while on Sunday, June 9, São Tomé e Principe will face Liberia on a neutral venue in Oudja, Morocco as Namibia host Tunisia again in Johannesburg.
The qualifying matches started in November and the next qualifying matchdays will be in 2025 (March, September, October and November) and Mabedi’s side need to win both Matchday 3 & 4 qualifiers to accumulate nine points to stay in contention.
To be hosted jointly by the United States of America, Mexico and Canada, the 23rd edition of the FIFA World Cup 2026™ is through a complex qualification as the finals will have 48 participating countries instead of the conventional 32 giving an advantage for Africa to field more teams.
The top team from each group after Match Day 10 shall earn an automatic qualification for the 2026 World Cup finals and additionally, the four best second-placed teams from all nine groups will engage in a continental playoff, determining a single victor who will then proceed to a second and final playoff.
This final stage will comprise six teams from various confederations, with the top two emerging as qualified participants, ultimately making up the 48 competing teams.
Though ranked 188 as of April’s FIFA Rankings while the Flames are at 125, São Tomé shouldn’t be underrated at all as in February and March, they were edged out of the preliminary round of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Morocco 2025 by South Sudan after 1-1 result from both legs with South Sudan qualifying for the next round through an away goal rule.
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