Nyasa Big Bullets head coach Kalisto Pasuwa has hailed the incredible achievement of his team after delivering their 15th Super League championship.
Bullets were crowned the 2020/21 TNM Super League champions on Saturday after defeating Karonga United 3-2 in a formality match at Kamuzu Stadium on the final day of the season, with the championship already sealed a fortnight ago.
The Zimbabwean tactician, who bagged his first championship with Bullets after taking over in 2018, has since paid tribute to his players, who gave him his third consecutive Malawian title, saying they endured one of the toughest seasons in his coaching career.
“It’s a good feeling defending the championship and I am so happy for the Bullets family and the players. My players showed good character in a difficult season coupled with injuries and its longevity.
“We started in October [2020] and we have finished in October [2021], meaning it was a one-year long season and we had to fight against good teams, fatigue as well as injuries on my players. We had almost 21 players down along the way and this was caused by the unavailability of time to compensate players with energy levels,” he explained.
Speaking to Bullets media, Pasuwa also countered critics that his players did not perform according to expectations in a season Bullets lost several key players due to transfers and injuries.
“If you look at the season with an analytical eye, you might think that my players did not perform, but I tend to disagree. The players did their best in relation to the circumstances. We had a very short pre-season training coupled with stoppages due to the Covid-19 break and sometimes playing two games within 24 hours.
“Going forward, I would urge the authorities to look into this [playing two games in less than 48 hours]. It’s not health for every player regardless of the team he is playing for to play two games within that short period of time,” said Pasuwa.
Winning the club its 15th league title, the Bullets head coach added: “All in all I also salute the board, the management, my fellow technical members, players and supporters for rallying behind us during the campaign”.-NBB Media
