Preview: Mafco FC vs Nyasa Big Bullets
By Antony Isaiah Jr:………
Fresh from winning the FDH Bank Cup, Kalisto Pasuwa and his team are now shifting their attention to Super League as they edging closer to securing their fourth League title in four years, sixth in the past 8 years.
Only Mighty Mukuru Wanderers and Kamuzu Barracks managed to win the league championship in the past 8 years, barring Bullets from winning it 8 times back to back.
Bullets are leading the table with 61 points from 25 games, 8 points above Blue Eagles who have 53 points from 26 games while Mafco are on number 6 with 43 points from 27 games.
FORM GUIDE
Since their 1-0 defeat to Mighty Mukuru Wanderers last season, Kalisto Pasuwa is yet to taste a defeat in the domestic football and they have played over 34 games in all competitions without a defeat.
They are the free-scoring team with also a solid defence as it has been evidenced by having a total of 58 goals [no team has scored more than them] in 25 games, conceding 17 goals, only Eagles have conceded fewer [9] than them.
They played three consecutive draws [Against Civil Service United, Silver Strikers and Blue Eagles] before returning to the winning ways with an emphatic 5-1 win over Sable Farming last week on Wednesday in a game that Babatunde Adepoju pillaged four goals to top the scoring chart with 16 goals with Muhammad Sulumba of Mighty Mukuru Wanderers coming second with 15.
In their last 7 games, Bullets have managed to score 19 goals, conceding 6.
On the other hand, the hosts are coming from 2-0 win over Sable Farming but their form has dropped in the recent games.
The Salima based Soldiers have just won two games in their last 8 games [Against Civil Service United and Sable Farming] losing three games [Against Moyale Barracks, Mighty Mukuru Wanderers and Dedza Dynamos] and sharing spoils with Mighty Tigers, Kamuzu Barracks and TN Stars.
Mafco have scored 42 goals and conceding 25 in 27 games.
HEAD TO HEAD
Precious Sambani’s strike was enough for the defending Champions to beat Mafco FC at Kamuzu Stadium in the first round this season.
Nyasa Big Bullets have beaten Mafco 14 times in their last 29 meetings with 12 games ending in stalemate while Mafco have a record of 3 wins.
Last season, no team managed to get three points from this fixture as they played a goalless draw at Chitowe Stadium before playing a 1-all stalemate at Kamuzu Stadium with Babatunde Adepoju scoring for the hosts while Stain Malata was on target for Mafco FC.
Mafco last beat Bullets in a league game in 2013 when Richard Mbulu and Said Mtekama netted two goals in a game that Bullets succumbed to a 2-0 defeat at Chitowe Stadium.
