Pasuwa-“They are no longer a reserve side”

By Antony Isaiah Jr:……

Nyasa Big Bullets Head Coach, Kalisto Pasuwa says Enos Chatama’s team are no longer a Reserve side following their impressive run in the FDH Bank Cup.

The two teams will face each other on Sunday in the finals of the most Prestigious Cup.

Chatama has managed to slay three Super League giants [Red Lione, Blue Eagles and Mighty Tigers] before beating their fellow regional team, Extreme FC in the semifinals to book their slot in the finals.

Speaking during the pre-match pressing, Pasuwa said Nyasa Big Bullets Reserve are a team which is standing on its own.

The mentor added that knocking out three Super League sides is a message that winning the Cup will need them to have a proper and thorough homework ahead of the game.

“[They are] no longer a reserve side because those boys are there [in the cup final] by no fluke,” said Pasuwa.

“They are a team which is standing on its own and you can see the way they have been playing throughout. They have been playing very good football and they knocked out three Super League teams, which means us, as the senior side, need to prepare well in order for us to take the cup home. It’s very interesting that we will be meeting the so-called reserve side, but again, we need to put everything in order so that we come out good on the day.”

Nyasa Big Bullets Senior team beat their Reserve side in the premature stages of the same tournament last season but it was on post match penalties after a 1-all stalemate in the regulation time.

Pasuwa said this can be the warning to them that they mist not underestimate their junior side but was quick to say that [the] team that played in that game is not the same that is going into this much-anticipated game.

Bullets’ team last season was full of experienced players in the name of Nelson Kangunje, Chimango Kaira, Chiukepo Msowoya, Piliran Mzonda, Bright Munthali, Sankhani Mkandawire, Miracle Gabeya who failed to match with the pace of the Chatama’s boys and the intensity of the game.

However, the majority of aged Players that were in the team have been shown an exit door paving way for the young energetic players and this is giving hope in Pasuwa that this time around his boys can fare well with the intensity of the game that the Junior people’s team play.

Kesten Simbi who scored the goal in last season’s game, Patrick Mwaungulu, Clever Mkungula, Frank Willard, Thompson Magombo, are all with Pasuwa at the senior team.

“If you saw that game [last season], they dominated in most of the areas, we were second on the ball most of the times and they were very quick. I think last time, we had most of the guys who were above 27, but now we have an average age of [23] which can fare very well with them [youngsters]. Last time, we had some of the boys who were playing for that reserve and they were promoted to the senior side and now they have them again when they are on the other side of it,” explained the manager.

Earlier this season, Nyasa Big Bullets won the Charity Shield Cup after beating Silver Strikers, they are leading the 16-member tnm Super League table with 61 points and they just need a win and a draw to be crowned the Champions.

If they win the FDH Bank Cup, this will mean that Pasuwa has managed to win a treble and it will take his total silverware collections to 10 in four years [4 Super League, 4 Charity Shield, 1 Airtel Top Cup, and 1 FDH Bank Cup], a complete dominance.

Pasuwa said they cannot have their target of breaking into the continental football of they are failing to dominate the domestic football saying dominating the domestic football is a one step towards their tagert.

Nyasa Big Bullets have been falling short of the Continental competition in four occasions consecutively but Pasuwa is optimistic that the team is driving to the right direction.

“As you know, Bullets is a big brand. We have been trying to build this team to be even a big brand in Africa. We can’t be a big brand without dominating the domestic competitions and getting this cup it will give us confidence in whatever we are doing. Remember we have been saying we are building a team and building that team, will give them confidence even if we go to the [CAF] Champions League because they will know how to run into the spaces tactically,” said the Zimbabwean.