MK

In 2015, domestic football powerhouse FCB Nyasa Big Bullets announced that they were going to take part in that year’s continental club football championship, the Confederation of African Football-CAF Champions League.

This is a competition that courts champions from all the 54 CAF Member Associations. The 12 highest ranked associations, according to CAF, are eligible to enter two teams in the competition meaning a maximum of 68 teams could enter the tournament.

So, when Bullets FC announced that they were making a return to a competition they last participated in back in 2004, under the name Bakili Bullets, the Peoples team was set to compete against 53 of the continent’s cream.

News that Bullets were making a return to the continental showpiece was greeted with excitement by local football fans, with memories still fresh of how Bullets defied odds to reach the group stages the last time they took part in the competition.

However, the 2015 story could be different to that of 2004 as this time around the team failed to go past the second stage of the preliminary round despite a good start against Comoros Islands’ Fomboni FC.

Since then, the curse of failing to progress past the second round has continued to haunt Bullets with many commentators questioning the relevance of competing in such a tournament where success has been hard to come by.

Last season, the team was humiliated by Democratic Republic of Congo’s TP Mazembe both home and away, signifying the lack of depth and quality in the people’s team’s squad and its ability to compete with the best beyond the borders.

This Sunday, Bullets return to continental football as they play host to Zambia’s Red Arrows at Bingu National Stadium before travelling to Zambia for the return leg a week later.

If Bullets go past Red Arrows, TP Mazembe will be waiting in the second round, raising serious doubts on the prospects of the team proceeding to the next round if last season’s performance against the same opponent is anything to go by.

So ahead of this year’s CAF Champions League, we take a deep look at Bullets’ squad and who are the potential game-changers for the struggling domestic league defending champions.

The People’s team has had a bad start to the season, probably one of their worst starts to a season since the arrival of Zimbabwean Gaffer Callisto Pasuwa over half a decade ago.

They currently occupy position 5 on the log table and have drawn a record 9 matches with the latest coming against Moyale Barracks last Sunday at Kamuzu Stadium.

For a team that only lost a single match the entire last season, it’s not looking good at all this season as they have already lost twice in the first round alone.

To add salt to an already existing wound, the people’s team will have to start life after two of their most influential players from last season’s exploits in which they won all the available pieces of silverware on the local football scene left for greener pastures outside Malawi.

Forward Lanjensi Nkhoma and attacking Midfielder Patrick Mwaungulu have both left in the middle of the first round of the 2024 TNM Super League to join the Democratic Republic of Congo giant’s TP Mazembe.

Despite re-signing forward Babatunde Adepoju from South Africa’s Venda FC and the Zimbabwe duo of defender Collin Mujuru and forward Ronald Chitiyo, the people’s team is still finding it hard to hit the ground running.

Bullets also acquired the services of Mighty Tigers FC Goalkeeper Innocent Nyasulu who immediately assumed the number one jersey but his lack of consistency has also cost him the plot to which Richard Chimbamba is slowly regaining.

Injuries have also not done the team justice as coach Pasuwa has failed to maintain a consistent starting 11.

For instance, left-back Alick Lungu is yet to feature in any competitive game this season as such Coach Pasuwa has been forced to improvise the in-experienced youthful winger Chrispin Mapemba at left-back as under-fire former captain Precious Sambani continues to fight his disciplinary issues off the field of play.

In central defence, newly appointed vice captain Clyde Senaji who was a marvel to watch last season has had limited game time this season due to recurrent injuries and last Sunday against Moyale he was forced off the field of play raising doubts about his availability for the Red Arrows tie.

New signing Collins Mujuru who had a grand debut match in the Charity Shield has also been on and off despite offering some glimmer of hope to the Bullets fans with his grand debut.

This has forced Pasuwa to revert to Nickson Nyasulu who has established himself as the regular center-back and has been forced to partner with Mujuru, Senaji or in worst scenarios right-back Gomezgani Chirwa.

So how would the Peoples team line up in defence on Sunday?

Surely Richard Chimbamba will start in goal. However, Chimbamba’s lack of international experience has exposed him on several occasions in which he has let in silly goals.

Memories are still fresh of how South Africa’s Amazulu FC dismantled Bullets at home in a space of 15 minutes some 2 seasons ago at Bingu National Stadium with Chimbamba manning the goalposts.

So, we seriously have reservations if Chimbamba is the man for the big occasions as such we give him a 5/10 on his chances of rising to the occasion to save Bullets come Sunday.

At left back it will be Chrispin Mapemba’s show to prove himself if he can fill in the boots of Alick Lungu and the errant Precious Sambani so this is his time to shine. We give him 6/10 to prove us wrong or right lad.

In central defense, Nickson Nyasulu is a guaranteed starter and with his experience, he must be ready to rise to the occasion. Anything like a 6/10 will do for the former Bullets reserve player.

Whoever partners Nyasulu on Sunday will have a daunting task as he will be drifted in a defensive pair that has not played together regularly and that compatriot will have difficulties settling.

At right back Captain Gomezgani Chirwa will have to prove himself again that he is the man to lead the people’s team for this season and beyond. Rarely does Gome disappoint and he deserves a 7/10 on his chances to deliver come Sunday.

Away from defence, Bullets’ other greatest undoing this season has been in midfield where coach Pasuwa is missing the services of the enterprising Ernest Petro.

Despite signing the highly rated Flames international Llyod Aaron, the Bullets’ Midfield has been failing to tick, failing to provide the link between the midfield and striking force.

Banega, as Aaron is fondly known, was signed as a deep number 6 midfielder but lately, Pasuwa has realised that Aaron’s style of play does not suit that position as such he has recalled into the first 11 Frank Willard and Aaron has since been pushed forward to occupy a more advanced attacking role, a position he is not familiar with.

Since being recalled into the first 11, Willard has brought some stability in the midfield as he can dictate play from deep in his half, something which was lacking in Aaron as such, we give Willard a 7 out 10 rating on his chances of delivering come Sunday.

As for Aaron, he is yet to give us that consistent wow performance that can move the ever-demanding Bullets fans and for this Sunday’s game, he will do with a 5 out of 10 rating unless he proves us wrong.

Since the departure of Mwaungulu and Nkhoma, Bullets’ revelation of the season has been academy graduate Chikumbutso Salima who is slowly making a name for himself with some 5-star performances.

Our fears though are about his lack of international experience and the ability to rise for the big occasions.

Salima this is your moment to shine and you are our highly-rated player for Sunday’s encounter as we give you an 8 out of 10.

Upfront Nigerian forward Babatunde Adepoju must prove why Bullets have continuously been seeking his signature. Baba is yet to reciprocate the form that saw him finish as the top goal scorer in the Super League but on Sunday he brings to the team his international experience, so Baba here is a 6 out of 10 for you.

If Pasuwa goes for a 3-man striking force of Babatunde, Ephraim Kondowe, and Maxwell Phodo then it will do the people’s team justice if Baba will be allowed to operate from the left flank of that 3-man striking force.

And if Pasuwa decides to go for a 2-man striking force and rope in a midfielder like Precious Phiri or Chawanangwa Gumbo then Baba should be the main target man upfront. 

So, looking at Bullets’ squad, it is clear that the squad is lacking depth and this year might find it tough again at the continental level. Many have been questioning Bullets’ spending toward the CAF Champions League. It seems Bullets have not made a massive investment to realise their CAF Champions League dream like it was the case back in 2004 when the team was being sponsored by former President Bakili Muluzi.

Take for instance some 3 years ago Bullets signed Ghanaian defender Agmeyang Badu to bolster their squad for the Champions League but the defender failed to make even a single appearance in the competition.

Again 2 seasons ago the team signed some players from Kenya and Nigeria who both have come and gone without contributing anything towards Bullets’ CAF Champions League aspirations.

This season the team has signed Zimbabweans Chitiyo and Mujuru and as of last Sunday Chitiyo had just started 1 league match.

So, the question is are these signings helping matters?

Is the Bullets CAF Champions League dream worth an investment?