Enos Chatama: Bullets scored from ‘dubious’ free-kick

Ekhaya FC head coach Enos Chatama believes Malawi football needs quality officiating to foster a fair playing field for all teams

Chatama made the remarks after his side suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat to FCB Nyasa Big Bullets in their 11th match of their debut TNM Super League campaign on Wednesday, July 2, at Kamuzu Stadium in Blantyre.

A 57th-minute header by Babatunde Adepoju was the difference, finishing off a well-taken free kick from Henry Chiwaya. The set-piece came after Wongani Kaponya was judged to have fouled Chiwaya on the left flank — a decision Chatama questioned, labeling it a “dubious free kick.”

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“We did not press them high enough. Their defenders had space to push into our half without real pressure, and that’s where the danger came from. They scored from a free kick, but I honestly don’t think there was any contact,” Chatama said. “If we review the footage, that moment could have made a huge difference.”

He added, “Bullets played well, but they did not really threaten us until the referee handed them that controversial free kick.”

Despite the loss, the Ekhaya gaffer remained confident about his team’s potential to compete with the league’s elite.

“We were once part of the project at Bullets, and now we’re building something at Ekhaya. Give us two years — we will be ready to challenge the big boys. We can match the level of FCB Nyasa Big Bullets, Mighty Wanderers, and Silver Strikers, just not overnight,” he explained.

Chatama’s tactical switch in the 19th minute bringing on Vincent Salawira for forward Safton Chintokoma gave Ekhaya a much-needed spark and helped the side hold Bullets to a goalless draw at halftime.

Momentum shifted early in the second half when captain Innocent Msowoya was stretchered off in the 49th minute and replaced by Lovemore Mbeta due to injury. Ekhaya stayed resilient, but one key moment was all the Red Army needed — and they made it count.