The Blantyre derby is on the doorstep and the result has huge ramifications for the league title as FCB Nyasa Big Bullets, who are perched high on the Sapitwa summit of the Super League with 49 points, go head-to-head with Mighty Wanderers who are second with 45 points at the iconic Kamuzu Stadium in Blantyre.
It is finer margins that dictate results when the two giants clash. In seven matches that the two have met since 2022, they have drawn four times while Bullets have won twice.
A Bullets victory will open a seven point gap and Bullets will look like running away with it, while a Nomads win cuts the four points gap to one, albeit Wanderers have a game in hand and are yet to lose.
But where could the match be won and lost for both Bullets and Nomads?
Nyasulu vs. Khungwa
The goalkeeper is the last line in defence and is entrusted to prevent the opposition from scoring in the net using reflexes and agility to block and deflect balls away from the goal.
Both Dalitso Khungwa and Innocent Nyasulu for Wanderers and Bullets respectively have done expertly well in doing this job.
Khungwa has racked up nine clean sheets in 11 matches and conceded only two goals with the other goal scored from the penalty spot.
Similarly, Nyasulu has kept 10 clean sheets from 16 games, and both are high up in the clean sheet statistics chart.
It would be noteworthy that Bullets have conceded 10 goals while Wanderers have shipped in eight goals so far.
Wanderers’ defence frailties
Defensive organisation and stability have been a huge grey area for Wanderers, such that it has the potential to unravel the Wanderers campaign this season.
Peter Cholopi’s inconsistencies, poor judgement and decision making, poor positioning, and raw aggression have cost Wanderers goals, and he has also been red-carded.
Pairing him with Emmanuel Nyirenda also does not help matters sometimes, as Nyirenda looks heavy and has no pace to match strikers with speed when opposition teams break.
Lawrence Chaziya, who has lost a place in the starting lineup, does not give solace as he too has similar defensive issues.
If these defensive issues rear their ugly heads again during the derby today, Wanderers will not go away with them as Bullets are ruthless when handed such opportunities.
However, this does not mean Bullets have no defensive problems of their own.
One big problem with coach Peter Mponda is the chopping and changing of the defence personnel.
Mponda has also been deploying utility player Yankho Singo as either centre back or fullback.
The only defender he has maintained so far is Blessings Mpokera, who has won multiple man of the match awards.
Defenders need to build relationships and partnerships for synergy and chemistry, but when you continue to chop and change in each and every game, you risk damaging that valuable partnership, and this can create problems.
In addition, Bullets defence is still untested since they continue to command ball possession which allows them to control the tempo and momentum of the game hence it is always the opposition defence that is mostly on the receiving end.
The midfield battle
The midfield is said to be the “heartbeat” of the team.
It will be interesting to watch how the midfield combination of Felix Zulu, Blessings Singini, and Isaac Kaliati will contend and challenge with Frank Willard, Paul Master and Yankho Singo.
In a reverse fixture which Wanderers won one nil last May, Wanderers tamed Yankho Singo and Lloyd Banega Aaron, and muted Chikumbutso Salima.
They also had lots of possessions, which allowed them to dictate the pace and momentum of the game.
However, this time around, Bullets have roped in Paul Master who is a master at ball recovery, offensive and defensive transitions, and sometimes he masterfully connects and links high up with strikers to score goals.
Mponda has also controversially deployed Bright Bweke Munthali as a central midfielder amidst many Bullets fans protesting his inclusion by arguing that he is past his prime and does not have the legs to run and patrol the central midfield.
However, in the Kamuzu Barracks and MAFCO games he has been featured in so far, Munthali was pivotal as he was just street wise with his positioning and was linking up with Ephraim Kondowe and Hassan Kajoke very well.
Perhaps the stakes are too high for Mponda to risk Bweke in a game of this magnitude but whosoever wins the midfield battle has a higher chance of winning the game.
Wing-play cutting edge
Both teams rely heavily on wing play in and during offensive transitions.
For Wanderers, it is Wisdom WiseDihno Mpinganjira and Bullets have Chikumbutso Salima to carve open defensive lines with trickery and pace.
However, Mpinganjira is more hybrid as he can also drop in defence and help provide cover. Salima has so far assisted nine goals while Mpinganjira has seven assists.
Salima has scored nine goals and is the second top goal scorer to Babatunde Adepoju.
But Wanderers have another weapon that has risen through the ranks in the name of Adam Wallace, who is second to Mpinganjira in the perking order.
Wallace is a traditional winger who can take on defenders beating them from the outside or inside to send crosses for Muhamad Sulumba or Sama Tanjong. Will Bob Mpinganjira play them both?
Wisedihno Mpinganjira operates on both flanks, and the only way both Wallace and Mpinganjira can play is if Mpinganjira plays as an inverted winger to be cutting inside and using his powerful foot for shots.
It will also be interesting to see how Mponda uses Hassan Kajoke, who is coming out from the doldrums and coming into his own form.
In the Bullets vs. MAFCO game, Kajoke played as a right non-traditional winger.
Kajoke does not hug the line as traditional wingers do, but used body feints and trickery to link up effectively with Ephraim Kondowe who was dropping deep and could release Kajoke into spaces where Kajoke managed to score two goals.
To the left flank, Bullets have Peter Banda or can also deploy Yamikani Mologeni, who are both mavericks to carry the ball through hugging the line and sending pinpointing crosses.
Bullets’ scorers gallore
It is worth noting that it is only FCB Nyasa Big Bullets and Karonga United who have multiple goal scorers in their teams, with both having 12 different scorers.
This might be handy for Bullets as they have scorers from every position or angle on the pitch.
In fact, Babatunde is the top goal scorer with 12 goals and is seconded by Salima with nine.
Kondowe, Kajoke, Sean Mcbrams, and Paul Master can all score goals.
No wonder Bullets have scored 46 goals while Wanderers have 28 goals, a far cry to Bullets’ goal tally.
Both teams have strikers who drop deep to link up with the midfield in order to disrupt defensive shape of the opposition as the centre backs follow them which creates spaces for their wingers, since the full backs tend to cover the space left by the centre backs.
The Blue Eagles vs. Wanderers game saw Muhammad Sulumba dropping deep, and his space was being filled by Blessings Mwalilino, who scored two goals coming from the left flank.
Similarly, Kondowe was dropping deep to link up with the midfield but was also setting up Kajoke who was occupying the space left by the full back who had gone to cover the space that had been left by his centre back who had followed Kondowe.
The Blantyre derby is won or lost on the pitch. It cares less about the position and form a team have but it is the events on that particular day and during the game that dictate the winner.
(Photos courtesy of Bullets’ and Wanderers’ Facebook pages)
