* After beating Civil Service United 3-0 on Saturday at the Kamuzu Stadium through Lanjesi, Phodo and Kajoke
* They will next meet Ekwendeni Hammers in the quarterfinals on Wednesday this week
Analysis by Duncan Mlanjira
With the FDH Bank Cup and the TNM Super League 2023 title on their trophy shelf, nothing seems stopping Nyasa Big Bullets from being hungry for more success as they are through to the Castel Challenge Cup quarterfinals after beating Civil Service United 3-0 on Saturday at the Kamuzu Stadium.
Advertisement
Nyasa Big Bullets scored through Lanjesi Nkhoma (19′), Maxwell Phodo (67′) and Hassan Kajoke (84′) and they will next meet Ekwendeni Hammers on Wednesday this week.
They are also in the final of the Airtel Top 8 — waiting for the outcome of the appeal on disciplinary determination which Mighty Wanderers are contesting.
A threat from Mighty Wanderers issued on Thursday, December 7 indicated that if Football Association of Malawi (FAM) failed to grant the Nomads their right to appeal over the determination made by FAM disciplinary committee, they would seek for an injunction stopping the semifinal of the Airtel Top 8 between Silver Strikers and MAFCO, which was scheduled for today.
FAM has since bowed down to the pressure and postponed the match to a later date, which — if it could have been allowed to be played, Wanderers were ready to “seek remedial action in the civil courts — including but not limited — to securing an injunctive relief or an injunction order to stop the 2023 Airtel Top 8 competitions from being played until our appeal has been heard and determined”.
This was from a letter that Wanderers lawyers, Makiyi, Kanyenda & Associates wrote on Thursday and in its press release issued yesterday, December 9 from FAM says its appeals committee has commenced the appeals process on the FAM disciplinary committee determination on the appeal by Wanderers against FAM competitions committee.
FAM also said Wanderers were served on Friday, December 8, with the disciplinary committee-motivated decision and given four days to submit their grounds of appeal whose hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, December 13.
On the other hand, FAM says it has commenced disciplinary proceedings against Wanderers following their no show at Kamuzu Stadium to fulfil their second leg of the 2023 Airtel Top 8 quarterfinal against Silver Strikers which was called off on Wednesday, December 6.
“As per Article 10.6 of the 2023 Airtel Top 8 Rules & Regulations, such failure resulted in Wanderers team losing the match by two goals to zero (2-0).
Advertisement
Wanderers have thus been invited to provide the FAM secretariat “with its position in relation to the two charges of failure to show up at the venue according to scheduled time contrary to Article 10.6 of the 2023 Airtel Top 8 Rules & Regulations and behaving in a way that brings the name of the game of football into disrepute contrary to Article 13.2.d of the FIFA Disciplinary Code”.
In waiting for these issues to be solved, Bullets are preparing to clinch the inaugural Castel Challenge Cup, starting on Wednesday against fellow TNM Super League side, Ekwendeni Hammers, who finished 12th in the just ended 2023 season that the Bullets retained for the 5th consecutive season.
The consecutive TNM Super League titles have been attained under Zimbabwean coach, Kalisto Pasuwa, who described the 2023 season as one of the toughest since he took charge of the Bullets five years ago.
It has really been a challenging season in which the champions endured congested fixtures in the past four months as on top of the TNM Super League assignments, they had to honour four tough Confederation of Africa Football (CAF) Champions League international matches — two being two legs against one of Africa’s top sides, TP Mazembe.
Bullets finished with 60 points from 30 games of 16 wins, 12 draws and three losses — three points ahead Silver Strikers (57) and five away from arch rivals, Mighty Wanderers (55), who ended third.
Relegated at 16th place in their debut season are Extreme FC, joined by Red Lions who go back to the lower league after bouncing back into the top flight league two seasons ago, who finished on 15th place.
Blue Eagles, who have always given their best in the top flight league without being relegated since time immemorial and were runners up to Bullets last season, are also relegated having finished 14th.
Moyale Barracks escaped relegation by a whisker when they needed to win their last match by a 7-0 margin which they managed to beat Red Lions, to tie on points but through due to goal difference.
The Super League was created in 1986 and was first sponsored by Gillet Nacet, which was composed of eight teams — five from Blantyre & Districts Football League (BDFL) and three from Lilongwe & Districts Football League (LDFL).
Nyasa Big Bullets — formerly named Bata Bullets, Total Bullets and Bakili Bullets have won most of the titles (17) as inaugural champions in 1986, followed by 1991, 1992, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2020-21, 2022 and 2023.
Silver Strikers follow at 8 (1993, 1994, 1996, 2008, 2010, 2011–12, 2012-13 and 2013.
Mighty Wanderers won it six times (1990, 1995, 1997, 1998, 2006 and 2017); ESCOM United twice (2007, 2010–11); and once by Admarc Tigers (1989); Civo United ((1987); MDC United (1988); Kamuzu Barracks (2016).
Advertisement