Late show seals victory for Bullets against resilient Tigers

FCB Nyasa Big Bullets staged a dramatic late comeback, scoring two goals in the final eight minutes to secure a 2-0 victory over a resilient Mighty Tigers at Kamuzu Stadium on Sunday afternoon. The win sees the People’s Team bounce back from their recent Blantyre Derby loss and solidify their position at the top of the TNM Super League.

Coming off a disappointing defeat to Mighty Wanderers, Bullets were eager for redemption. However, they found themselves frustrated for much of the match by a well-organized Tigers defense.

The opening 20 minutes saw a physical encounter with few clear-cut chances.

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Lloyd Aaron tested Tigers’ goalkeeper Sunganani Mponda in the 21st minute, while Ephraim Kondowe replaced Sean McBrams just after the half-hour mark due to an injury. Frank Willard sent a free-kick over the bar for Bullets, and Grayson Msowoya fired into the side-netting for Tigers, ensuring a goalless first half.

Bullets’ head coach Peter Mponda made a crucial change at halftime, introducing Babatunde Adepoju for Wongani Lungu.

Chawanangwa Gumbo also came on for Mike Mkwate on the hour mark as Bullets began to exert more pressure, with both Adepoju and Kondowe going close.
The breakthrough finally came in the 82nd minute when Hassan Kajoke fired Bullets ahead, much to the relief of the home crowd. Just seven minutes later, Babatunde Adepoju sealed the victory with a well-taken goal in the 89th minute, completing the late surge.

A relieved Peter Mponda, head coach for the People’s Team, expressed his satisfaction with the win and his team’s persistence. “It was not simple because Tigers closed the gaps, so we had to make changes to use pace and break them down,” Mponda said. “Credit should go to the boys for their patience until we got those goals. I’m happy to be part of these boys today.”

Meanwhile, Robin Alufandika, Technical Director for the Kaukau Boys, accepted the defeat, acknowledging his team’s lapse in concentration at the end.

“It’s a very painful loss to us because we contained the game, but we just lost concentration towards the end,” Alufandika lamented. “We have learned a lesson; we will sit down and sort out the problems.”

With this victory, Bullets remain top of the table with 21 points from 8 games, having secured 7 wins and suffered just one loss in the league. Mighty Tigers, on the other hand, drop to 11th position with 10 points from three wins, one draw, and five defeats.