* Formerly known as Blantyre Zero, they are remaining with 5 games before they wind up the season
* They have been on an unbeaten streak record after playing 9 matches to lead the table with 27 points
* The super girls are tied on points with their rivals Ntopwa Women but the People’s Team ladies lead on goal difference
By Victor Singano Jnr, Correspondent
Malawi’s women football heavyweights, Nyasa Big Bullets Women FC are slowly edging closer to grab their second consecutive the Southern Region edition of the Football Association of Malawi (FAM) Women’s League championship for the 2022 season.
Bullets Women — formerly known as Blantyre Zero, who are remaining with 5 games before they wind up the season — have been on an unbeaten streak record after playing 9 matches and they are currently leading the table with 27 points having thrashed third-placed team, Evirom FC 5-1 over the weekend.
Led by the legendary Maggie Chombo-Sadik, the super girls are tied on points with their rivals Ntopwa Women but the People’s Team ladies are controlling the table due to goal difference and have also a game in hand.
In an interview, Chombo-Sadik disclosed that this year’s focus is mainly on building the team which will be able to compete both at local and international level.
She further said as part of transition process, they have assembled a youthful squad which will need enough time to start producing good results.
“Some of our players are ageing,” she said. “So we thought it wise to recruit youngsters in the team which we are currently drilling so that they can understand our philosophy and become better replacement of other players, who are expected to hang up their boots very soon.
“So far we are impressed with how these young players are adapting our style of play during training as well as game time but the only setback is that our league is somehow on and off but we are very much hopeful that we’ll have a good team,” she said.
Blantyre Hotspurs are anchoring the Southern Region FAM Women’s League table with 3 points from 9 games.
Meanwhile, each region namely, Northern, Central and Southern is expected to produce top 3 teams who will compete at the national stage.
Bullets Women won the FAM National Women’s League championship early this year which also happened to be the team’s first-ever title since it changed the name after beating Lilongwe-based giants DD Sunshine at Civo Stadium.
Last month, Nyasa Big Bullets Women signed Dutch national Anne van Els and in an interview Chombo-Sadik said the signing of Els underlines that women’s football is growing in the country.
“Her arrival shows how much women’s football is developing in the country,” she had said. “We are happy to welcome Anne to the club. It’s an exciting signing and addition to our squad. It’s pleasing to see how happy she is to join Bullets.”
Els joined the club on a four-month contract as a free agent and on her part, the Dutch national has since expressed delight at joining Nyasa Big Bullets
“Big Bullets is a big and special club to a lot of Malawians,” she said. “I could especially see that the two times I went to see a match at the [Kamuzu] Stadium, so I am very excited and honoured to join this club and start playing for the women’s team. I hope I can contribute to the club’s success.”
Nyasa Big Bullets Facebook page indicates that 34-year-old Els started her football career at the age of 15 when she joined SV Venray’s first women’s team and later moved to Door Vriendschap Verenigd in Amsterdam and won the championship in 2016 with Verenigd.
Els has been in Malawi for the past four months working at the Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital as a paediatrician.