Zimbabwean coach Kalisto Pasuwa on Saturday launches a third attempt at CAF Champions League glory when he leads Nyasa Big Bullets into battle against Simba.
Pasuwa has won all silverware at Bullets during his three-year stay in Malawi he is now gunning for a fourth straight league title.
Bullets management hired the Zimbabwean to rebuild the team, improve its tactical approach to games and transfer the team’s domestic performance to Africa.
The coach has ticked all boxes save for that of the Champions League.
Bullets exited from the preliminary rounds of the past two editions.
The Malawi league champions lost 1-0 to Gor Mahia in Kenya in the first leg of the preliminary round before winning 1-0 the home leg which ended up in post-match penalties which the visitors won in 2018.
The following year, Bullets drew 0-0 with Platinum of Zimbabwe at home only to lose 3-2 in Bulawayo to exit the competition.
He was not able to deliver with experienced players at his disposal but now he will go for his third attempt at the continental glory with a youthful team following the release of 12 veterans in the pre-season.
Ironically, the former Dynamos mentor insists his team needs enough experienced legs if they are to excel in this year’s edition of the Champions League.
“We need more experience to have an advantage…but we hope for the best when we travel to Lilongwe [to host Simba] next week,” he said.
If domestic form is anything to go by, then Bullets are ready to torment Simba with exciting winger Patrick Mwaungulu and scorer-in-chief Babatunde Adepoju at the peak of their athletic powers.
Bullets walloped relegation-bound TN Stars 8-0 at Kamuzu Stadium two weesk ago in what was their last preparation for the continental adventure.
This was Bullets biggest league win in many seasons and of course this season.
It is the biggest league win by any team across the league this season.
Bullets are 12 points clear of second-placed Blue Eagles who have a game in hand, the only unbeaten in the 16-member league, by far the highest scoring yet most youthful team with few perceptible weaknesses.
Bullets seem destined for another stroll in the park towards a record extending 16th league title for Bullets juggernaut and the fourth on the spin for quiet tactician Pasuwa.
However, before the last local match, Bullets had leaked in seven goals from two games one for a cup and the other league meaning Pasuwa has serious defensive issues to sort out otherwise this seems another stroll on the park for Bullets.
