N

yasa Big Bullets have described Tanzania’s Simba Sports Club plan to play three international friendly matches ahead of the two sides’ CAF Champions League preliminary round qualifier as a sign of panicking.

The Tanzanian giants will face Asante Kotoko of Ghana on August 28 and Al Hilal of Sudan on August 31 in Sudan before facing AS Arta/Solar7 of Djibouti in Tanzania on September 3.

Pasuwa: The players just need to adapt

Commenting on their opponents’ busy schedule, Bullets chief executive officer Suzgo Nyirenda said the Tanzanian outfit is panicking.

He said Simba need the international friendly matches more than Bullets since the Tanzanian national league is off season.

Nyirenda said: “Remember, their league is yet to kick off. So, they need the friendly match.

“We don’t have that luxury. We already have a tight schedule as we play in the league, FDH Bank Cup as well as the CAF Champions League.”

Coach Callisto Pasuwa said his charges have to adapt to the tight schedule.

He said: “All we can do is to prepare for anything because we will not have any opportunity to have [special preparations] for games, especially the Champions League.

“So, the players will just need to adapt to the situation because it is what it is. The players should know that we will have more games than any other team in the remaining part of the season.”

The TNM Super League defending champions will start their campaign in the preliminary first round at Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe on September  10.

The second leg will be played on September 16-18  in Tanzania.

If successful, they will face the winner between Zambia’s Red Arrows and Angola’s Primeiro de Agosto in the second round with the first leg set for the weekend of  October 7-9 and second leg on October 14-16.

Bullets hold Malawian clubs’ best performance record in CAF club competitions after making it to the knockout stage of the Champions League in 2004.

But in the past four seasons, they have never gone past the preliminary round.

Last year, Bullets beat South Africa DStv Premiership side AmaZulu 1-0 at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban through a Chiukepo Msowoya first half strike in a match they played with a player less following a red card to left-back Yamikani Fodya.

However, the South Africans, who were then coached by Bafana Bafana legend Benni McCarthy, stunned the People’s Team 3-0 in a return match at Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe.

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