BB break record
Nyasa Big Bullets were yesterday crowned as TNM Super League champions with glitz and glamour after coming from behind to beat Civil Sporting Club 2-1 and break the league’s 11-year points’ record.
Hassan Kajoke’s brace at Kamuzu Stadium in Blantyre ensured that Bullets completed the season at the summit of the 16-team log-table with 71 points, a historical margin since TNM started sponsoring the top flight league in 2007. Be Forward Wanderers were the record holders after winning last year’s title on 69 points.
This is the first time in 11 years that a team has won the TNM-sponsored league by hitting the 70-point mark.
The People’s Team has warpped up their campaign eight points above runners-up Wanderers who won the league last season.
The comeback triumph has also helped the People’s Team to maintain their dominance over Civil Sporting as this was their 12th win in 16 league matches, including a 2-1 beating in the first round. Civil Sporting have not beaten Bullets in the league since their 2-1 victory in the first round of 2011 season. Three of the two sides’ meetings ended in goalless draws.
Bullets have as well extended their Super League winning record to 14. They are currently a team with the most Super League honours in the country since inception in 1986. They are followed by Silver Strikers (eight) and Wanderers (six).
Bullets have won 21 games and drawn eight. They had the meanest defence, having conceded 13 goals.
They scored 42 goals, 12 above second-placed Nomads—16 of which were scored by striker Chiukepo Msowoya
Before kick off in yesterday’s match, the Civil Servants gave the People’s Team a guard of honour as the elite league champions, but appeared to have no respect in the actual match when Innocent Tanganyika drew first blood in the 45th minute, connecting home a diagonal pass from Henry Msowoya.
However, Kajoke restored parity with a header just two minutes into the second half after being set up by man-of-the-match Chimwemwe Idana before converting a retaken penalty shot in the 33rd minute after MacFarlen Ngwira was fouled in the box.
“This was the best way to end the season,” said Bullets coach Callisto Pasuwa after the game. “I am particularly impressed with the performance of up-and-coming players such as Kajoke and Idana. “
Civil Sporting team manager Gabriel Chirwa, whose side has settled for the fourth place with 42 points, said although they lost yesterday’s match, they were happy with the overall performance of their players.
At the end it all, Minister of Labour, Youth, Sports and Manpower Development Grace Chiumia and her Health counterpart Atupele Muluzi presented the trophy to Bullets captain John Lanjesi, who jovially surrendered it to the club’s chief executive officer Fleetwood Haiya.
TNM head of marketing Sobhuza Ngwenya said: “We are happy with how the league has been handled and we are impressed to see its competitiveness improving a lot.”
Prize presentation ceremony is expected to be conducted by the second week of January 2019.
