Still game on
Despite failing to make use of home ground advantage, Nyasa Big Bullets are upbeat of winning their CAF Champions League preliminary round return leg tie against FC Platinum of Zimbabwe slated for Barbourfields in Bulawayo in a fortnight.
Similarly, Masters Security also believe in cold comfort that they can turn the tables in the return leg of their CAF Confederation Cup preliminary round tie against Proline FC after suffering a 3-0 away defeat in Uganda on Saturday.
While acknowledging that it will not be a stroll in the park, Bullets coach Callisto Pasuwa was quoted by The Sunday Mail of Zimbabwe as having said: “It’s still game on, we are starting another 90 minutes in Zimbabwe. The same way they came here and drew 0-0, we can also do it.”
He also hinted at an attack approach from the onset during the return leg.
“It will be an interesting game. We are not going to defend, we will attack,” said Pasuwa who is also a Zimbabwean.
And commenting on Saturday’s match, Pasuwa said: “It was a very tactical match, we were playing a more experienced side who were keeping the ball away from us.
“The boys did well, but we could have done better in attack. Nevertheless, I am happy with the boys, they were solid in defence, but we lacked speed in attack, especially on the right where we had Gomezgani [Chirwa].”
His FC Platinum counterpart Norman Mapeza said: “It’s a fantastic result, we wanted to win and the guys worked hard. We need to keep working hard and see what happens in the return leg.
“They [ Bullets] are a very good team, full of youngsters. We have an advantage that we will be playing at home. We also had a problem that some of our players did not feature and hopefully, they will be available in the return leg.”
Meanwhile, Masters coach Abbas Makawa said they will turn the tables at home.
“In football, anything can happen. So, we haven’t given up yet,” he said
Makawa partly attributed his team’s loss to a waterlogged pitch.
“It rained heavily and that affected our play since it is dry season back home. We also conceded a silly goal in the first half, but we will try to rectify our mistakes.” The club’s general secretary Christopher Njeula said: “We tried, but we conceded goals from purely individual errors. We hope that in the return leg, we will get a positive result although it is a mammoth task.”
