Bullets lack a winning mentality as they succumb to Dedza Stadium’s curse

Bullets are yet to win at Dedza Stadium in seven games but they are unbeaten in the opening fixture since 2012

Ephraim Kondowe’s shoulder-dropping tap-in brought ecstasy to thousands of Palestine who turned up for the game at Dedza Stadium, but it didn’t age well, did it? FCB Nyasa Big Bullets again stumbled at Dedza Stadium as they dropped points from losing position for the first time at the venue.

Dedza Dynamos Football Club showed the gaps of Clement Nyondo and Charles Chipala who joined Mighty Mukuru Wanderers and Silver Strikers respectively earlier this season but Promise Kamwendo was the answer when he gave Dedza Dynamos matchgoers the deserved merriment. A total of K28,773,800 was grossed in the cold district with each team receiving K7,254,014.20

Dedza District Council got a deserved K6,045,011.00 as ground levy while SULOM had a share of K2,418,004,40 with FAM taking a share of K1,209,002.20. Kalisto Pasuwa changed the narrative after the draw, he usually blames the condition of the pitch at the venue but this time it was officiation who were blasted at full-time.

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Silver Strikers will top the 16-member table for possibly 24 hours, but it will depend on the results of Sunday’s matches. Moyale Barracks and FOMO FC were other winners on the opening day of the 2024 Super League.

FCB Nyasa Big Bullets have now failed to win at Dedza in seven games, losing five of them and drawing twice. It was the first time for them to find the goal at the venue in 9 years. Davie Ng’ambi was the first scorer for the team at Dedza against Dedza Young Soccer in 2015 but Kamuzu Barracks won twice against Bullets, Mafco FC, and Masters Security and Dedza won once against the red-attired Bullets.

Powered by their history at home, Dedza Dynamos looked to have a bright start to the game in the first half. Kalisto Pasuwa reshuffled his cards from the team that started against Silver Strikers in the Charity Shield Cup as Clyde Senaji Navade returned to the starting Xi and he, for the first time, partnered with newly signed defender, Collin Mujuru while Patrick Mwangulu, Lanjesi Nkhoma all started.

FCB Nyasa Big Bullets took the lead but they lacked the winning mentality in the game with “we don’t win here” lingering around their heads. How they conceded the goal and their performance after conceding summed it all.

Kalisto Pasuwa wants his players to be protected as he ranted to referees in his post-match interviews saying they are not “not professional” as they are failing to take control of the games.

Bullets were forced to make a change before a half-hour mark when Maxwell Phodo picked an injury.

“At times we need to be professional because this is not football. If it is football, then officiation should have to be on the right side of football. Every time I lose players without anything being done, last year I lost three, or four players and now they are in POP,l but no caution to the players who are injuring our players.

“Today we have seen Maxwell Phodo going off injured, but when it is us, any slight mistake, they [players] are cautioned, they are punished. Then we go into the game itself, as coaches, we prepare and then the results go the other way round. On football matters, it’s one of the results that we were expecting.

“Last year we lost players because we were traveling much, and if you see now, we have traveled twice, we were in Lilongwe [last week] then today we are here. Next game we are at home then the other week, we are traveling again, then, how can you plan as a coach? These players can turn to injury-prone.”

A blessing in disguise for Phodo to leave the pitch when the game was still infant, Kondowe became the first scorer of the team in the 2024 campaign after tapping in Mwaungulu’s well-worked ball.

With Chikumbutso Salima producing glittering performances in the Charity Shield Cup against Silver Strikers, Pasuwa kept him in the right attacking channel as Patrick Mwangulu drifted inside to occupy the “hole”.

Rather than when playing as a right attacker, Mwaungulu is always dangerous when facing the goal, and Pasuwa will reap more if he continues using him as his attacking midfielder.

His ability to move with the ball from his half gave him the chance to test the keeper with a hammer drill that Donnex Mwakasinga fumbled before Msowoya tapped it in from close range to give Bullets the lead.

After conceding an avertable goal in the second half, Bullets resorted to hitting long balls with only Salima, Mwaungulu, and Nkhoma sparking the attack but their heights were to their disadvantages.

Despite the negative result, Bullets are unbeaten in the opening games since 2012 when they lost to Silver Strikers by 4 goals to nill.

Bullets face Mighty Waka Waka Tigers in their net game while Dedza take on Civil Service United.

Dedza capitalize on Bullets’ defensive debacle

After going behind at the break, Dedza Dynamos were very clever to capitalize on the visitors’ defensive debacle when Promise Kamwendo’s well-timed strike beat Innocent Nyasulu.

In the whole first half, Bullets were able to deal with dead balls and set-pieces. They have been conceding goals from set-plays but on Saturday, it was a different story, perhaps the partnership of Mujuru and Senaji will be able to thwart aerial balls.

The hosts needed one glorious opportunity to stun the visitors. Bullets walked away from Dedza with their faces down, they needed to kick-start their campaign with a win as this season promised to be a tight one with teams upping their standards to challenge Bullets’ pre-eminence.

A defensive relapse handed Dedza an opportunity to level the matter. Donnex Mwakasinga hit a long ball into the half of the visitors, with Keeper Nyasulu off his line, Chifuniro Mpinganjira worked well to find Kamwendo who had little to do as he just gobbled it into the net.

Mwaungulu and Salima form a deadly bond as Chitiyo appears in Bullets’ colours

Patrick Mwaungul’s departure with 20 minutes to play couldn’t excite the supporters as he was the only player who was always dangerous when the team was going in the position’s half.

The 2023 TNM Super League Player of the Season proved his status in the game before leaving the stage for Ernest Petro. Mwakasinga was named the Man of the match and he had a duty to stop Mwaungulu’s heavy shots.

The combination with Salima who is playing as a right attacker for the team proves to be one of the hottest and most deadly in the Super League.

Nearly registered a goal each in the first half, but Mwakasinga thwarted their attempts. The new number 11 [Mwaungulu] combined with Salima to create a shooting space but Dedza’s keeper was alert to deny him from hitting the back of the net.

Chikumbutso Salima got the better of Frank Chikufenji but his longing effort was palmed away by Mwakasinga.

Mwaungulu was in thick things again but this time he combined with Lanjesi Nkhoma the last effort for the number 19 went far away from Mwakasinga’s office.

Dedza couldn’t sit back and entertain Bullets enjoying the possession, Victor Lungu had a grand game before paving the way for Ibrahim Sadick. He had a few attempts but was not directed to Nyasulu’s posts.

Newly signed, Ronald Chitiyo was handed his debut as Pasuwa made wholesale changes by bringing in four players. The Zimbabwean got have been off to a flying start in Bullets’ colours but he was unfortunate to blaze over the bar after a scramble in the penalty area for Dedza.