Mighty Mukuru Wanderers host Nyasa Big Bullets with Alex Ngwira going head-to-head with Kalisto Pasuwa in the much anticipated Blantyre derby at Kamuzu Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
Blantyre is split into blue vs red and their history, bragging rights and the right to rule the City at stake! That’s not all, this year’s addition has a couple of twists especially for Wanderers who are 16 points behind their rivals in the title race.
When these cross city town rivals meet, the nation will be locked on historical rivalry that has seen Bullets dominate down the years.
For the past decade, Wanderers only registered victory over their bitter rivals once, a 1-0 win courtesy of a first half strike from Vincent Nyangulu but since then, it has always been Bullets getting the better of their opponents.
But Sunday’s derby will be have bad consequences for the loser, especially if the loser is Wanderers.
With a 16-point gap between the two teams, the Lali Lubani giants have to win in order to close the gap and possibly remain in contention for the championship.
It’s a derby confrontation with a lot at stake as the visitors and first placed Bullets aim to defend the title which they won last season whilst Wanderers would want to mount a challenge though it may seem like all is lost for Ngwira’s side
Since the start of the Super League season, the two teams have had mixed results, with Wanderers registering eight wins, three losses and five draws, scoring 26 goals and conceding 12 in the process whilst Bullets have registered fifteen wins and three draws from which they have scored 35 goals and conceded eight to open up a 12-point lead over second-placed Blue Eagles and remain unbeaten in the current season.
By looking at this season’ stats, it is a must-win game for Wanderers in order to stop Bullets from early celebrations because a win for the log leaders on Sunday will take them closer to winning the title with games to play.
Last time out, the derby ended 2-1 in favor of Pasuwa’s side on the first day of the current season.
Wanderers would want to avenge their first game loss and end Bullets’ unbeaten run in the ongoing season but they will have to be at their level best in order to overcome a highly spirited side which has made Kamuzu Stadium a no-go zone area for any other team for the past decade.
On the other hand, Bullets are the masters of Blantyre derbies.
In 2017, Wanderers were favorites to beat Bullets who had several of their key players injured but the People’s Team carried the day with an emphatic victory to remind their neighbors that when it comes to bragging rights, Blantyre City belongs to the red side of the town.
Victory for Bullets will see them opening a 19-point gap between them and their rivals and they would be edging closer to the 16th league title and a fourth straight championship in a row.
Heading into this encounter, both teams have a remarkable defensive record, conceding 12 and 8 goals respectively.
Bullets have scored 35 league goals, 9 more than their rivals.
This looks likely to be a very special derby where the winner will have all the reasons to walk around the town with heads up high.
The coveted Blantyre Derby has always promised to entertain, but after a few less than impressive clashes in previous seasons, there is no doubt the derby has to some extent, lost its x-factor, as fans, especially from Wanderers, have been given very little to celebrate.
But on Saturday, both teams will be hoping to resurrect the ‘dead derby’ to the satisfaction of supporters who will come out of their large numbers to cheer their teams.
Team News
Both teams have no fresh injuries to their list, with Bullets welcoming back Nickson Nyasulu, Clever Mkungula and Kesten Simbi who sustained an injury during a league game against Ekwendeni Hammers.
PREVIOUS ENCOUNTERS
2020/21 season
-Mighty Wanderers 1-1 Nyasa Big Bullets
-Nyasa Big Bullets 0-1 Mighty Wanderers
2022 season
-Nyasa Big Bullets 2-1 Mighty Wanderers
2019 season
-Be Forward Wanderers 0-0 Nyasa Big Bullets
-Nyasa Big Bullets 0-0 Be Forward Wanderers
2018 season
-Nyasa Big Bullets 1-1 Be Forward Wanderers
-Be Forward Wanderers 0-0 Nyasa Big Bullets
2017 season
-Be Forward Wanderers 1-1 Nyasa Big Bullets
-Nyasa Big Bullets 1-0 Be Forward Wanderers
2016 season
-Be Forward Wanderers 0-1 Nyasa Big Bullets
-Nyasa Big Bullets 1-1 Be Forward Wanderers
2015 season
-Nyasa Big Bullets 1-0 Be Forward Wanderers
-Be Forward Wanderers 1-2 Nyasa Big Bullets
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