Peter Mponda: Richard Chimbamba stops training with Bullets, he will miss Eagles’ game

FCB Nyasa Big Bullets are embroiled in a disciplinary standoff with veteran goalkeeper Richard Chimbamba, whose eight-year tenure with the club now hangs in the balance following what Head Coach Peter Mponda has described as “issues” that have led to the player’s absence from training.

The situation came to light ahead of Bullets’ fixture against Blue Eagles at Nankhaka Stadium, with Mponda revealing during pre-match interviews that the 30-year-old shot-stopper has effectively severed ties with the team’s training sessions. The development has left the club with a depleted goalkeeping department at a crucial juncture of the season.

According to reports circulating within the club, the controversy began last week during preparations for the highly anticipated Blantyre derby against Mighty Wanderers in the TNM Super League. Chimbamba allegedly arrived late for a training session, a breach of protocol that prompted the technical panel to request an apology from the goalkeeper.

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In what appears to have been a miscalculation that has escalated into a full-blown crisis, Chimbamba reportedly refused to issue the requested apology. This defiance marked the beginning of his self-imposed exile from the team, a decision that has now seen him miss two consecutive Blantyre derbies—league match and FDH Bank Cup match which Bullets lost to Wanderers.

The standoff has forced Bullets’ coaching staff to navigate recent fixtures with only Austin Chirambo as the substitute goalkeeper on the bench, a precarious situation for any team with championship ambitions.

When pressed on the matter during pre-match interviews, Mponda adopted a carefully measured stance, neither confirming nor denying widespread speculation that Chimbamba has been formally suspended by the club. His comments suggested a situation more complex than a straightforward disciplinary action.

“Richard Chimbamba is not part of us for this game [against Blue Eagles]. There were some issues and he just stopped attending training sessions,” Mponda stated.

The coach’s diplomatic language leaves room for interpretation: whether Chimbamba was effectively pushed out through suspension or chose to walk away himself remains deliberately ambiguous. What is clear, however, is that one of the club’s longest-serving players is currently persona non grata at the training ground.

The timing of this controversy is particularly striking given Chimbamba’s diminished role in the team even before the disciplinary issues emerged. Once the undisputed number one goalkeeper, Chimbamba has found himself displaced by Innocent Nyasulu, whose impressive form has made the number one jersey his own.

Nyasulu’s statistics tell the story of Chimbamba’s fall from grace: the current first-choice goalkeeper has kept an remarkable 10 clean sheets in the league this season, a level of consistency that has made him virtually undroppable. In contrast, Chimbamba has been limited to just nine appearances across all competitions this season—a dramatic reduction for someone who was named the club’s best goalkeeper in the 2024 season.

Since joining in 2017, the goalkeeper has been central to one of the most successful periods in the club’s history.

Chimbamba’s breakthrough came during the 2019/20 season when injuries to both Ernest Kakhobwe and Rabson Chiyenda thrust him into the spotlight. Rather than wilting under pressure, he seized the opportunity with both hands, establishing himself as a reliable last line of defense. Over the years, he has accumulated 90 appearances for Bullets, a testament to his longevity and consistency.

His trophy cabinet reflects individual excellence alongside team success: Chimbamba has won the TNM Super League, Airtel Top 8 Cup, and Castel Cup golden gloves, recognition that marked him as one of the premier goalkeepers in Malawian football. His crowning achievement came when he was named the club’s best goalkeeper in the 2024 season—an honor that now seems to belong to a different era given current circumstances.

Adding another layer of complexity to the situation is Chimbamba’s contractual status. The goalkeeper signed a new three-year deal with the club last season, a commitment that should have secured his future until at least 2027.

Chimbamba’s absence is not the only concern in Bullets’ goalkeeping department. Clever Mkungula, another goalkeeper on the club’s books, has also not been training with the team and has failed to make a single appearance this season.