Mighty Wanderers and FCB Nyasa Big Bullets Battle to 0-0 Draw in Blantyre Derby
In a highly contested match, Mighty Wanderers and FCB Nyasa Big Bullets settle for a goalless draw in the Blantyre derby.
BLANTYRE, Malawi - In a much-anticipated showdown between Mighty Mukuru Wanderers and FCB Nyasa Big Bullets, the teams fought tooth and nail, ultimately settling for a 0-0 draw in the Blantyre derby, writes Happy Valirani.
The electrifying match took place on Saturday, July 1, 2023, at Kamuzu Stadium as part of the TNM Super League encounter.
With a massive crowd of spectators filling the stadium, Mighty Wanderers took control of the game right from the start, displaying beautiful football and dominating the midfield.
They kept Nyasa Big Bullets pinned in their half, yet their relentless efforts failed to yield any goals.
Just before halftime, Mighty Wanderers created a flurry of scoring chances, primarily through Gaddie Chirwa, who wreaked havoc on the right wing, delivering dangerous balls into the goal area.
However, Francis Mkonda and Vincent Nyangulu missed the mark with their headers, leaving the scoreline unchanged.
As the second half commenced, Nyasa Big Bullets made substitutions, introducing Anthony Nfune and Chawanangwa Gumbo in place of Hassan Kajoke and John Lanjesi, but the change failed to shift the momentum.
Mighty Wanderers continued their dominant performance from the first half, relentlessly pushing for a breakthrough.
The Nomads persistently sought a goal, but breaking through the formidable defence of Nyasa Big Bullets proved to be a daunting task.
The Bullets' backline, consisting of Blessings Mpokera, Gomezgani Chirwa, Okofor Okumu, and Alick Lungu, stood resolute. Wanderers made their changes, bringing in Christopher Kumwembe and Vitumbiko Kumwenda while substituting Vincent Nyangulu and Francis Mkonda, but the alterations did not tip the scales in their favour.
Wisdom Mpinganjira of Wanderers was voted as the man of the match for his outstanding performance.
Reflecting on the match, Mighty Mukuru Wanderers' coach, Mark Harrison, expressed satisfaction with his team's display of football despite the lack of goals.
He remarked, "Everybody was excellent today. We controlled the game, dominated, and created several scoring chances. If we can consistently perform like this, we can challenge for the championship. It's a long way to go, and we'll keep pushing forward."
Meanwhile, Calisto Pasuwa, the coach of FCB Nyasa Big Bullets, accepted his team's subpar performance, acknowledging that they were slow on the ball and lacked assertiveness.
He praised the opposition, stating, "Well done to the opposition; they played well. We didn't execute our usual game plan, and our centre-backs struggled at times. Our confidence was lacking, hindering our offensive tactics. We need to go back, do our homework, and come back stronger."
With the 0-0 draw, both teams walk away with a single point.
Mighty Mukuru Wanderers maintains their position in third place in the league standings with 19 points, while FCB Nyasa Big Bullets secures the second position with 22 points, having played an equal number of games.
Sitting atop the league table is Silver Strikers with 25 points, following their goalless draw against Chitipa United at Civo Stadium on the same day.