Wa Ganyu

Zambian Super League champions Red Arrows coach Chisi Mbewe has said drawing Malawi’s giants FCB Nyasa Big Bullets is a tricky fixture bit at the same time a fair draw.

The two will face-off in the preliminary round of the 2024/25 CAF Champions League campaign between 16 and 25 August in Malawi before a return match taking place in Zambia.

Mbewe has said Bullets is a well sponsored side and at the same time an organized team which will not be easy to beat.

However, Mbewe who has been tipped by Zambian pundits to perform well at the continental front believes with proper preparations, they can see off Bullets.

“Our target is to reach group stages which we hope to achieve. About Bullets, I know little about them. We need to search more about them and we hope with good preparations we will be victorious,” he said.

His opposite number, a Zimbabwean tactician Kalisto Pasuwa described Arrows as a good side.

“We cannot underrate any team. We need to prepare well in order to get past them. We have learnt a lot in the time we have been participating in CAF. We would love to start away and finish the work here in Malawi, but all in all, we need to prepare well to progress,” he said.

The draw for the African Champions League was held at the CAF Headquarters in Cairo, Egypt, on Thursday the continental elite club competition will involve 59 clubs from 47 African countries.

The military team who g sponsored by the Zambia Air Force are the league champions finishing, having amassed 68 points ahead of ZESCO United who came second with 59 points.

Following the victory, players and technical bench were promoted to their next higher rank with immediate effect with Mbewe rising to Warrant Officer Class Two.

Bullets are Malawi champions after winning the league with 60 points with Silver Strikers ending second on 57 points.

Both teams have poorly performed in the CAF Champions League with Arrows booted out in the preliminary round in 2021/22 while Bullets lost in the second round last year.

Arrows will be clashing with the Malawi side after securing the services of Bullets attacker Peter Banda who will be the key member to watch.
The winner over the two-legged tie has TP Mazembe of the Democratic Republic of Congo waiting.

Mazembe are a team with a rich history in the Champions League. They kicked out Bullets last year in the same competition.