Nyasa Big Bullets will be crowned the 2020/2021 TNM Super League champions when they host Karonga United in the final league match at Kamuzu Stadium this afternoon.
The People’s Team were confirmed champions of the league last week following defeats to follow title contenders Silver Strikers and Be Forward Wanderers followed by their 3-0 victory over Kamuzu Barracks that saw them opening a four- and five-point lead over their rivals with only one game to go.
A season where Bullets struggled to cope with injuries, Covid-19 and fatigue, the league winners used experience to outsmart the Central Bankers, who at some point, had a commanding eight-point lead heading into the second round of matches.
But after playing 30 games, Kalisto Pasuwa’s men will officially lift the trophy for the third consecutive time and 15th time since its inception.
However, they have to do it with caution against a side which has done well against top teams in the ongoing season.
Karonga United is the only side in the league to have defeated both Wanderers and Bullets.
And Pasuwa knows that victory won’t be certain if his charges will not up their game on Saturday.
“We are going to be positive in everything that we are going to do. It’s not a case of saying we are just going to play casual since we have already won the league. We need to take up all the three points over Karonga United in order for us to finish the season on a high not. For this to happen, the players need to step up,” he told Bullets media.
The tactician, whose side lost 1-0 in the reverse fixture at Karonga Stadium, has described Saturday’s opponents as one of the best teams in the league.
“We respect each and every team that comes. When we played them in Karonga, they scored and closed doors for us for any possible come back. They are now at our home ground and we need to be very positive in whatever we do. We need to go extra mile in order for us to win points. We have been playing them and it has never been easy for us to collect points and it’s a must for the players to fight hard so that we lift the trophy and points at the same time,” he added.
Despite Karonga United’s dominance in the past season over some big teams, the team has never defeated Bullets at Kamuzu Stadium.
In all the meetings, Bullets have three wins, one draw and one loss whilst the visitors have only managed to win once.
Last season, Bullets hammered them 5-0 at Kamuzu Stadium before a 3-1 victory in the previous season.
But Karonga United head coach Dan Dzinkambani says his players are in good shape and will be looking forward to a good game against the champions-elect.
“We had a breakdown on our way to Blantyre but we managed to arrive early for the showdown and my players are in a good shape and hopefully, they will recover on time for the match.”
“It won’t be easy for us because we are playing a team which has already won the league but we will play our normal game. We know how they play especially at Kamuzu Stadium but we will also take the game to them so that supporters enjoy the match,” he said.
A win for the visitors will dislodge Civil Sporting Club into fourth position with 49 points.
On the other hand, Pasuwa’s men, who have 59 points from 29 games, will be looking forward to finish the season with 62 points.
Though they have failed to surpass a 70-point mark set last season, winning the gold medals with a victory will add spice to a season which was dogged by unexpected breaks due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
It was a season where, at one point, the People’s Team was forced to play without 12 players due to Covid-19.
In the course of the season, Bullets left for Tanzania for CECAFA Kagame Club Competition in which they finished as runners up and when they returned, Super League of Malawi (Sulom) had already lined up four games within one week as one way for Bullets to catch up with fellow teams who had already played more games.
To make matters worse, Bullets dropped five points in their Northern Region outing to Moyale Barracks and Mzuzu Warriors.
Though they managed to bounce back with wins over Red Lions and Chitipa United, Bullets dropped two crucial points at home to Mafco FC and three points to Wanderers, results which saw their title rivals coming back into the contest only to surrender it when it mattered most.
And on Saturday, the most decorated club in the land will add another Super League trophy to their cabinet.
