Nyasa Big Bullets FC

Last updated

Andy Nyasa Big Bullets
Nyasa Big Bullets FC logo.png
Full nameNyasa Big Bullets Football Club
Nickname(s)
  • The People's Team
  • Maule
  • Mapale
Short nameNBB
Founded1966;59 years ago (1966)
Ground Kamuzu Stadium
Capacity65,000
Coach Peter Mponda
League TNM Super League
2024 TNM Super League, 3rd of 16
Website nyasabigbullets.com

FCB Nyasa Big Bullets is a Malawian professional association football club based in Blantyre, currently playing in the TNM Super League, the top division of Malawian football. The club was formerly known as Bata Bullets, Total Big Bullets and Bakili Bullets. Nyasa Big Bullets are regarded as the most successful club in Malawian football history, having won the Super League of Malawi a record 17 times.

Contents

History

The club was formed in 1967 by a group of players who split from Mighty Wanderers. The original name was Nyasaland Bullets, but the club managed to source good sponsorship from Bata Shoe Company and was renamed as Bata Bullets. [1]

1970 season was a great success as Bullets achieved a treble after winning the Blantyre and Districts Football League (BDFL), the Chibuku Cup and Castle Cup.

In 2003, then Malawi President Bakili Muluzi adopted the team and renamed it Bakili Bullets. It was during this period that the team enjoyed one of its glamorous periods, reaching the lucrative group stages of CAF Champions League 2004. [2] [3]

It was also during the same period that the club had a training camp in the United Kingdom in readiness for the CAF Champions League. Currently the team is sponsored by Nyasa Manufacturing Company (NMC). [4] Its nickname ever since is Maulle (native language for bullets).

On 8 October 2018, Rodgers Yasin was sacked as Nyasa Big Bullets head coach along with assistant Elijah Kananji. [5]

Bullets were coached by Peter Mponda. The 2023 football season was one of the most successful for Bullets, they won all four domestic trophies on offer; The TNM SUPER LEAGUE, The Airtel Top 8, The FDH Bank Cup, and The Castel Challenge Cup.[ citation needed ]

Stadium

Kamuzu Stadium is a stadium located in Blantyre, with a capacity of 50,000 seats. It is located next to the Malawi National Council of Sports Offices.

The Blantyre derby

The Blantyre derby between Big Bullets and Mighty Wanderers is a fiercely contested match and in contrast to most of the other games played in the Malawi TNM Super League, matches between the two rivals always attract a large fanbase.

Honours

Domestic

Airtel Top 8 Malawi Winners (3) 2021, 2023, 2024. [6]

Continental

Performance in CAF competitions

2000  – Preliminary round
2004  – Group stage
2015  – First Round
2018–19  – Preliminary round
2019–20 – Preliminary round
2020–21 – Withdrew
2021–22 – First Round
1975: Second Round
1979: Withdrew in First Round
1993: Withdrew in preliminary round
1976  – First Round
1977  – Second Round
1997  – First Round
1998  – Preliminary round
1999  – First Round

Current men's squad

As of January 2025Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No.Pos.NationPlayer
1 GK Flag of Malawi.svg  MWI Innocent Nyasulu
2 DF Flag of Malawi.svg  MWI Erick Kaonga
3 MF Flag of Malawi.svg  MWI Lloyd Banega Aaron
4 DF Flag of Malawi.svg  MWI Nickson Nyasulu
5 MF Flag of Malawi.svg  MWI Blessing Mpokera
6 DF Flag of Malawi.svg  MWI John Lanjesi
7 MF Flag of Malawi.svg  MWI Frank Willard
8 DF Flag of Malawi.svg  MWI Precious Sambani
9 MF Flag of Malawi.svg  MWI Mike Mkwate
10 FW Flag of Malawi.svg  MWI Hassan Kajoke
11 MF Flag of Malawi.svg  MWI Ernest Petro
12 MF Flag of Malawi.svg  MWI Righteous Banda
13 MF Flag of Malawi.svg  MWI Alick Lungu
14 DF Flag of Malawi.svg  MWI Yamikani Fodya
15 DF Flag of Kenya.svg  KEN Clyde Seneji
16 DF Flag of Malawi.svg  MWI Gomezgan Chirwa
No.Pos.NationPlayer
17 GK Flag of Malawi.svg  MWI Clever Mkungula

{{Fs player|no=19|nat=Malawi|name=Mphatso Magombo|pos=FW}}

20 FW Flag of Malawi.svg  MWI Lanjesi Nkhoma
21 MF Flag of Malawi.svg  MWI Precious Phiri
22 FW Flag of Malawi.svg  MWI Anthony Mfune
23 MF Flag of Malawi.svg  MWI Stanley Billiat
24 GK Flag of Malawi.svg  MWI Richard Chimbamba
25 MF Flag of Malawi.svg  MWI McFallen Mgwira
26 DF Flag of Malawi.svg  MWI Kesten Simbi
27 DF Flag of Kenya.svg  KEN Collins Okumu
28 DF Flag of Malawi.svg  MWI Yankho Singo
29 MF Flag of Malawi.svg  MWI Patrick Mwaungulu
30 FW Flag of Malawi.svg  MWI Maxwell Gastin Phodo
31 MF Flag of Malawi.svg  MWI Chawanangwa Gumbo
32 MF Flag of Zimbabwe.svg  ZIM Kenneth Pasuwa
33 FW Flag of Malawi.svg  MWI Ephraim Kondowe

Club officials/technical team

References

  1. "Former Big Bullets most memorable mentor, Team Manager John Gilmore passes on in UK". maraviexpress.com. 12 November 2019. Archived from the original on 29 April 2021. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
  2. "CAF – CAF Error Page". cafonline.com. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 12 June 2019.
  3. http://championsleague.mtnfootball.com/live/content.php?Item_ID=280%5B%5D
  4. "Match Report – Boston United vs Bakili Bullets". bufc.drfox.org.uk. Archived from the original on 25 June 2021. Retrieved 17 December 2018.
  5. Kadewere, Jeromy (9 October 2018). "Malawi: Bullets Sack Coaches After Masters Defeat". Nyasa Times (Leeds). Archived from the original on 7 November 2018. Retrieved 17 December 2018.
  6. "Airtel Top 8 final grosses K116.4 million – The Times Group". times.mw. Retrieved 30 August 2025.