Wa Ganyu
They say, “once beaten, twice shy,” but what about three or four times? Only FCB Nyasa Big Bullets can truly relate, having lost for a fourth consecutive time to their sworn rivals, Mighty Wanderers FC, going down 1-0 in the 2026 NBS Bank Charity Shield on Saturday at Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe.
“But the numbers behind the loss make this even more painful,” said one fan at the final whistle.
With the defeat, Bullets have now gone six full hours of football—360 minutes, 21,600 seconds, or a quarter of a day—without scoring against Wanderers.
The loss also ended Bullets’ record of sweeping all the Charity Shields they have participated since 2018, undone by the Mighty Blues, who arrived in Lilongwe under intense pressure from their president, Thomson Mpinganjira, who had strongly urged them to win during the presidential ball.
Cameroon striker Sama Thiery Tanjong was the hero of the day, rising from nowhere to head in a ball parried by Bullets goalkeeper Innocent Nyasulu in the 48th minute. For the Nomads, this marks their first Charity Shield triumph after four previous attempts ended in disappointment.
More than the result, Bullets’ performance will concern their fans. This was an opportunity for redemption after last season’s setbacks against their rivals, but the players looked out of sync.
In all three defeats last season, Wanderers dominated the midfield, and today was no different. It wasn’t that Wanderers were exceptional, rather, Bullets simply appeared to be chasing shadows, lacking cohesion, strategy, and fight.
The first half told the story. Just three attempts, with only one on target. By contrast, their rivals registered two shots on target within the opening five minutes. They were also awarded a penalty in the 14th minute, but Nyasulu, helped by the post, managed to keep out Isaack Kaliati’s effort.
Both Mike Mkwate and George Chaomba missed chances in the first half, but fans will particularly remember Gastin Phodo’s opportunity after being set up by Hassan Kajoke, who should have hit the target for a striker of his pedigree.
Despite going behind, Bullets showed little urgency, often opting for casual square passes before their afternoon took a turn for the worse when Mkwate went down injured.
The introduction of Wongani Lungu, Peter Banda and Clever Kalambo plus Misheck Billiat injected some spark, but it came too late to rescue the situation. Head Coach Gilbert Chirwa accepted the defeat but remained optimistic about his team’s prospects.
“We have lost the game, but the players performed well in both halves. I am confident we will improve in the upcoming matches,” he said.
Wanderers Assistant Coach MacDonald Mtetemera says the victory provides a strong confidence boost ahead of the new season.
“I am very happy with the result and I thank the players for their effort. This win has motivated us and I believe we can do great things this season,” he said.
