Rachael Kaphaizi

Blue Eagles’ strong first-round campaign will be tested again as the second round gets underway this week, with the Eagles facing Bullets, a side also carrying strong momentum into the second half of the season.

Both sides finished the first round in style, with Blue Eagles beating Mighty Wanderers 2-1, while Bullets produced an even bigger statement by defeating Silver Strikers 5-0.

Blue Eagles have enjoyed the better overall record so far, winning 10 of their 15 matches, losing four and drawing one. They have also scored 24 goals, compared to Bullets’ 20. Bullets, meanwhile, have won eight games, drawn six and lost only once.

Bullets’ unbeaten home record has turned their multiple chosen home grounds into fortresses; five wins and two draws in the first round mean every visiting side knows they’re in for a battle.

The two sides have already met once this season, with the match at Nankhaka Stadium on 23rd May ending 1-1. Blue Eagles’ Tonic Viyuyi opened the scoring before Bullets’ leading scorer Ephraim Kondowe equalised.

Last season, the two sides produced contrasting results in their meetings. On 27th July 2025, Blue Eagles defeated Bullets 1-0 at Kamuzu Stadium in the first round, with Laurent Banda scoring the only goal. The second-round meeting on 6th November at Nankhaka Stadium ended goalless.

The head-to-head record points to another closely contested encounter, with neither side establishing clear dominance in their recent meetings.

Blue Eagles, however, will enter this fixture with a setback as three players are suspended. Viyuyi, who has scored eight goals and is second behind Kondowe’s nine in the scoring chart, will miss the match alongside Micium Mhone and Geoffrey Christian Maluwa.

Can Blue Eagles defy the odds without their stars and end Bullets’ home invincibility? Or will the hosts send out another statement and protect their fortress as the season’s second act begins?