FCB Nyasa Big Bullets, fielding a side that showed more than five changes, ground out a comfortable 5-1 win over Dedza Dynamos in their FDH Bank Cup semi-final clash on Sunday afternoon at Kamuzu Stadium to advance to the final of the prestigious competition for the second time in a row.
A brace from Anthony Mfune and further strikes from Hassan Kajoke, Collins Okumu and MacFallen Mgwira inspired Kalisto Pasuwa’ charges to a comfortable win to set-up a final showdown against Salima based Mafco FC at Bingu National Stadum next month.
Pasuwa decided to make four changes to the side that defeated Mighty Tigers last Thursday by handing first time start to Chinedu Okafor alongside Clyde Senaji, Righteous Banda and Anthony Mfune, with Rabson Chiyenda maintaining his position between the two sticks.
On the other hand, Gilbert Chirwa was missing the services of his Super League leading scorer, Clement Nyondo, Limbani Phiri, and Clement Chipanda due to injuries, while Joseph Balakasi was serving his suspension.
The untried combination wasted no time in striking up cohesion, and they ensured that Bullets moved into the final of the cup they won last season.
The hosts broke the deadlock just after two minutes when Collins Okumu produced a powerful header to beat Donnex Mwakasinga in goal for the visitors. The scorer was found unmarked in the penalty box by Patrick Mwaungulu’s excellent delivery from a free kick.
But soon after conceding, Gilbert Chirwa’s men almost leveled when they launched a counter attack from the left side of the field but Promise Kamwendo’s shot, after being set up by Ochaya Okot, was well saved by Chiyenda for a corner kick which the hosts easily defended.
From there, it was Bullets creating plenty of goal scoring opportunities, with Okafor coming closer to doubling the lead in the 13th minute but his shot was well blocked by Justice Chihoma for a set piece which was well dealt with by Mwakasinga.
Okoti had his own moment of brilliance in the 20th minute when his long-range effort almost caught Bullets’ defense napping in the line of duty, but it went wide off Chiyenda’s left-hand side.
Mwakasing produced a moment of brilliance just before the half-hour mark when he denied Mfune from registering his name on the score sheet with an excellent save. The forward was at the receiving end of a Gomezgani Chirwa’s brilliant cross into the box.
The shot-stopper was the busier of the two goalkeepers as he was called into action yet again to deny Mwaungulu from extending Bullets’s lead from a set piece which resulted into another corner kick missed by Okafor from the close range.
With 35 minutes played, the 1-0 margin was not a true reflection of the game as Bullets had created lots of goal scoring chances but their front men kept on firing blanks to the disappointment of Pasuwa who was up on the touchline throughout the match.
The tactician made a first-half substitution when he brought in Hassan Kajoke for Okafor to try to improve his attacking prowess in search of more goals to completely kill off Dedza’s hopes of making a comeback.
In the second half, the visitors started brightly, but they were guilty of coughing up possession in dangerous area and they should have conceded more goals in the opening minutes of the final half but once again, Bullets kept on missing chance after chance.
In the 54th minute, Chiyenda came to the hosts’ rescue with an excellent save to deny Alex Benson from finding the back of the net when Bullets’ defense was caught off-guard through a well-crafted counter attack from Chipala and Okot in the middle of the park.
The People’s Team doubled their lead in a brilliant fashion in the 65th minute through a well-organized counter-hurricane orchestrated by Mwaungulu who released Chirwa to the right-flank before sending a very dangerous cross into the box to Kajoke who headed past defenseless Mwakasinga into the net, 2-0.
The game was put beyond Dedza’s reach in the 69th minute when Mfune scored from the rebound after Mwakasinga’s first attempt save from a Chawanangwa Gumbo’s low-cross shot, 3-0.
Mfune doubled his tally with a simple finish in the 73rd minute when he was found unmarked by Mwaungulu’s pass to the far end of the visitors’ penalty box, 4-0.
Pasuwa brought in Thomson Magombo, Mgwira, Ernest Petro and Lanjesi Nkhoma for Mwaungulu, Banda, Gumbo and Mfune to try to balance up and maintain their comfortable lead while Ibrahim Sadik and Simeon Singa for Dakalira and Charles Chipala to improve their attacking options in search for at least a goal.
The visitors were able to find the consolation goal in the 86th minute through Gift Magola, who capitalized on a defensive error by Okumu, who lost possession inside his defensive box.
But the four-goal margin was restored in the 90th minute through a beautiful volley from Mgwira, who spotted Mwakasinga out of his goal line before chipping the ball over the shot-stopper into the top corner, 5-1.
Up next for Pasuwa’s charges in the second leg preliminary round second leg match against TP Mazembe in DRC next week.
