Tag Archives: CECAFA Kagame Cup

Malawi

Malawi’s Bullets not moved with change of venue; ready for showdown

MaraviPost
Malawi’s Bullets not moved with change of venue; ready for showdown

Nyasa Big Bullets are set for this afternoon’s Cecafa Kagame Inter-Club Cup semi-final against Azam FC despite the organisers changing the venue from Benjamin Mkapa Stadium to Azam Sports Complex, the home of their opponents.

Bullets assistant coach Peter Mponda, who is in charge of the team in the absence of head coach Callisto Pasuwa, said the change could be construed as an attempt to give Azam FC an advantage, but this does not faze them.

He said: “I believe it is going to be a very difficult game. It will be a tough game not necessarily because of the opposition we are playing, but because we are guests and they will do everything possible to stop us.

“The change of the venue will give Azam an advantage as they will be comfortable at their home which has an artificial turf.”

However, Mponda said they are not trying to find an excuse in the event that things do not go their way.

“We are not here to make excuses. Our home Kamuzu Stadium also has an artificial turf and we are used to playing on that surface,” he said.

To make it to the semi-finals,  Bullets finished as Group A runners-up after a one-all draws against Young Africans (Tanzania) and Express FC (Uganda) and a 2-0 win over Atlabara of South Sudan.

“With the way we have been playing these games here, I believe we have a chance of making it to the final.

“But as we always say, we can plan, we can do everything, but sometimes it’s small mistakes that can cost us. We have been talking to the players to minimise mistakes,” said Mponda.

Bullets are using the tournament to prepare for the CAF Champions League and Mponda said, so far, so good.

“We believe we have had a good run in the group stages. We played three games, drew two and won once, not bad at all.  We didn’t concede too many goals. Only two.

“Yes, they were give away goals. At this level of competition we don’t have room to make mistakes.”

Soccer analyst Felix Ngamanya Sapao cautioned Bullets to expect a tough opposition in the semi-finals.

He said: “Anything can happen. Bullets can beat Azam FC. But they need to know that Azam FC have been using their new signings and youth players for the tournament so far.

“Their first team players returned from holidays at the weekend and  I know coach George Lwandamina will feature his main team.”

Azam FC humbled 2019 champions KCCA FC 2-0 in their opening match, edged Burundi’s Le Messager Ngozi (Burundi) 1-0 in the second game before losing to KMKM in the final group match.

Azam FC captain and goalkeeper Benedict Florence Haule told Cafonline that they are determined to pick a good result in front of their fans.

“We know the team from Malawi is good and we shall face them with a lot of caution,” he was quoted as having said..

Ugandan giants KCCA and  Express FC clashed in the other semi-final yesterday.

Source: The Nation

Sports

Bullets soar to closer to $30,000 CECAFA Kagame Cup prize

Maravi Post Reporter
Big Bullets players

Malawi’s representative at this year’s CECAFA Kagame Cup, Nyasa Big Bullets beat South Sudan’s Altabara 2-0 to set up a semifinal clash against Tanzanian side, Azam FC on Wednesday 11th August.

In the other semifinal, Express FC from Burundi will face KMKM SC from Zanzibar on Monday, 10th August.

Bullets, also known as the People’s Team and TNM Super League defending champions, are participating in the tournament taking place in Tanzania as guests and were drawn in Group A alongside Young Africans (Yanga), Express FC and Altabara.

In their opening Group A match, the Malawian side settled for a 1-all draw against Yanga, before registering a similar result against Express FC.

And on Saturday, first half goals from defender Nickson Nyasulu and striker Hassan Kajoke secured Bullets semifinal over the Sudanese champions.

Bullets have qualified for the semifinal as the second best team from Group A behind leaders Express who defeated Tanzania’s Yanga 3-1 on Saturday.

The Malawian side made it with five points from three games, two points behind the leaders Express whereas Yanga on two points and Atlabara bowed out having finished the group on two points and one point.

In Group B games, KMKM stunned already qualified Azam FC 3-2 at the Azam Complex, Chamazi.

In another game for the group, defending champions KCCA FC lost 1-0 to Burundi’s Le Messager Ngozi FC. KMKM qualified as the second best team in Group B.

Bullets now require two wins out two to emerge the champion of the CECAFA Kagame Cup with USD 30,000 as the prize, while USD 20,000 and USD 10,000 will be given to the second and third teams respectively.

Bullets Peter Mponda praised his charges for showing great character in the last group match after the draws.

Mponda said they need not to be complacent as they prepare for the semifinals where things will get tougher.

The annual CECAFA Senior Challenge Cup is considered the oldest football tournament in Africa.

The tournament is collaborative between the larger Eastern African countries and part of Central Africa and run by the Council of East and Central Africa Football Associations (CECAFA).

CECAFA is made up of 11 members ten of whom are federations recognized by FIFA; Uganda, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti, Burundi, Somalia, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania and Kenya while the 11th – Zanzibar is still chasing Association status with the World governing body.

The tournament began way back in 1926 under the name Gossage Cup which then was mainly a Kenya-Uganda affair.

Sports

Chiukepo Msowoya shines in CECAFA Kagame Cup; On top of goal-scorers chat

Maravi Post Reporter
Chiukepo Msowoya shines

By Alick Sichali

BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)-Nyasa Big Bullets forward, Chiukepo Msowoya, has now scored twice in the CECAFA Kagame tournament which is taking place in Tanzania.

On Wednesday, August 4, 2021, Msowoya equalized for Bullets in the second half of their game against Ugandan side, Express FC who are topping group A to make it 1-all.

Bullets were trailing in the first half after conceding an early goal at 4 minutes following Miracle Gabeya mistake in the flank left which saw MuzamiruMutyaba beating the Malawi based goalkeeper Ernest Kakhobwe.

Chiukepo Msowoya first scored against Young Africans in Nyasa Big Bullets opening match at the competition.

The former Orlando Pirates and Golden Arrows striker now leads the top goal-scorers chat after bagging his 2 goals in 2 games played. Msowoya leads alongside Azam TZ star, Paul Peter who netted a brace against KCCA.

Nyasa Big Bullets are scheduled to play their final group stage match against Atlabara on Saturday at Chamazi Stadium.

Meanwhile the Peoples team are behind group leaders Express FC with 2 points from 2 games they have played while Express FC have 4 points from 2 ties.

Sports

Sulom ‘blocks’ Big Bullets from participating in CECAFA Kagame Cup in Tanzania

Maravi Post Reporter
Big Bullets players

The Super League of Malawi (SULOM) has directed Nyasa Big Bullets to play their TNM Super League match against Silver Strikers on Saturday, 31st before they travel to Tanzania for this year’s CECAFA Kagame Cup.

Bullets were invited as guests and confirmed their participation in the CECAFA Kagame Cup 2021 to be staged from 1st to 15th August.

According to Kagame Cup organizers, the draw for the competition will be conducted on July 27th.

Teams confirmed for Kagame Cup 2021 are Young Africans SC, Azam FC (Tanzania), Altabara FC (South Sudan), Le Messager Ngozi FC (Burundi), APR (Rwanda), Express FC, KCCA FC (Uganda), Tusker FC (Kenya), KMKM SC (Zanzibar), Nyasa Big Bullets FC (Malawi).

Last Friday, Bullets Chief Executive Officer, Suzgo Nyirenda told local media that “we have confirmed our participation and we are going as guests”.

But SULOM General Secretary, Williams Banda declined to change the fixture, arguing that the league has been extended well enough due to Covid-19 and recent Malawi national football team engagements.

He, therefore said Bullets must play against Silver Strikers on Saturday, 31st  July, and “thereafter they can decide to go and participate in CECAFA Kagame Cup in Tanzania.”

He observed the extension of the league has impacted negatively particularly on teams without sponsorship.

“We started the league in 2020 but was suspended due to Covid-19 restrictions and now we are in 2021 meaning that most of the teams their confers are dry.

“Secondly, just recently the national team participated in COSAFA, which also had an impact on the league itself,” said Banda.

He then faulted the Football Association of Malawi (FAM) for keeping the invitation to itself until last Friday when the country’s football governing body asked Sulom to shift Bullets’ match.

“When did FAM receive the invitation for the Champions of the TNM Super League to participate at Cecafa?

“Who will foot the cost in as far extension of the league to the teams in respect of fulfilling the fixtures as well the league to administer it until the end? queried Banda.

According to him, FAM should have informed SULOM in good time so that when they were reviewing the fixture after Flame’s engagements, they could have considered the invitation and revise the fixture.

“I know Cecafa organizers wrote, maybe, FAM sometime back but we were not informed until on the 23rd of July that’s when they wrote us, and we did inquire to say was this on the football calendar which was agreed between FAM and Sulom. We have yet  to get the response to that effect

“As regards to this weekend’s fixture, I can assure the general public that come rain come shine, Nyasa Big Bullets Vs Silver Strikers will be played and thereafter, maybe, that’s when they decide to go to Cecafa, but for this weekend fixture, that one will be played.

“I don’t doubt about that and even Nyasa Big Bullets is aware, and Silver Strikers is aware, and FAM is aware that we released the fixture after revising it and I can assure you that this game will be played at any cost,” asserted Banda.

There were no immediate comments from FAM and Nyasa Big Bullets.