Nomads date BB

Be Forward Wanderers will face their age-old rivals Nyasa Big Bullets this Saturday at Bingu National Stadium (BNS) in Lilongwe as the Nomads step up preparations for their CAF Champions League preliminary round first leg tie against AS Vita from the DRC.

Nomads general secretary Mike Butao yesterday said they are also planning to have another friendly match on Thursday against Red Arrows of Zambia in Lusaka enroute to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Said Butao: “We believe Bullets will give us a good measure of our strength ahead of the AS Vita match [scheduled for February 11]. We will also use the match to select our final squad for the trip.”

The Nomads GS said they will travel to Lusaka by road early next week from where they will fly to the DRC.

“We also had an offer from Zanaco for another friendly on Monday [next week], but we felt that would not suit our travel plans,” he said.

Wanderers vice-captain Alfred Manyozo Jnr hailed the team’s executive committee for organising the two friendlies.

“Bullets are a big side so too Zambia’s Arrows and I believe they will provide us with the litmus test that we need,” he said.

Bullets chief executive officer (CEO) Fleetwood Haiya said in principle, they have agreed on the friendly against Wanderers as well as Masters Security FC on Sunday.

“Training starts on Monday [today] either at College of Medicine [COM] Sports Complex or Moneymen Ground  in readiness for the games,” he said.

The People’s Team CEO also said they are in talks with management of the two facilities on a long-term partnership.

“We want to be training at either of these places because they also have other facilities such as gyms and swimming pools.

“We are also looking at engaging the services of their physical trainers. So, we want to come up with an agreement with them,” he said.

Last season, Bullets were training at Blantyre Sports Club (BSC), “but Wanderers are also using the same facility so we wouldn’t want to create some sort of conflict”. n