Nyasa Big Bullets Reach Quarterfinals with 3-0 Win
In other matches, Bangwe All Stars beat Chitipa United 4-3 on penalties after a 0-0 draw to reach the semifinals.
BLANTYRE, Malawi - FCB Nyasa Big Bullets reached the quarterfinals of the 2023 Ibongetse Castel Challenge Cup with a convincing 3-0 win over Civil Service United at Kamuzu Stadium in Blantyre on Saturday in the round of 16 match, writes Happy Valirani.
Lanjesi Nkhoma, who was named man of the match, put Bullets ahead in the 19th minute with a grass cutter shot from outside the box.
The People's Team maintained the 1-0 lead at halftime despite Civil Service United's efforts to equalize which did not bear fruit.
Maxwell Gasten Phodo doubled Bullets' lead at 67 minutes after receiving a cross from Nkhoma before Hassan Kajoke added another goal at 84 minutes.
FCB Nyasa Big Bullets will now face Ekwendeni Hammers in the quarterfinals.
"We were failing to win position in the first 20 minutes and the opposition could have killed us," said Bullets coach Calisto Pasuwa.
"After we scored a goal, that motivated the boys and we scored two more. We need to prepare for the quarterfinal against Ekwendeni."
Civil Service United coach Abasi Makawa accepted the defeat, saying his players missed chances that could have changed the game in the first half.
"We have lost the game, we have to accept it," said Makawa.
"This was our last game this season. We are going back to Lilongwe to see where we went wrong."
In other matches, Bangwe All Stars beat Chitipa United 4-3 on penalties after a 0-0 draw to reach the semifinals.