Bullets, Mzuzu City clash Castel Challenge Cup semis

There will be no love lost as FCB Nyasa Bullets host Mzuzu City Hammers in the Castel Challenge Cup semi-finals at Kamuzu Stadium in Blantyre with memories still fresh of how the giant killers frustrated them in the same competition last season. The winner will face Goshen City Dedza Dynamos who booted out Blue Eagles after a 4-3 post-match penalties victory in the first semi-final played yesterday at the same venue. In the last edition, Hammers also stunned Bullets 4-1in post-match penalties to book a place in the final where they lost to Mighty Wanderers.

This time around as Hammers return to Blantyre with renewed belief after dispatching Silver Strikers in the round of 16 and Wanderers in the quarter-finals. Despite suffering relegation from the top-flight league, Hammers have once again proved they are formidable cup contenders. Hammers caretaker coach Lazarus Nyemera said his players are fully prepared and motivated for the encounter.

He said: “The boys are working very hard. We want to go as far as the final and win the cup. After getting relegated from the Super League [now FDH Bank Premiership], the boys know that the Castel Challenge Cup is the only consolation for our supporters.

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We know we are meeting another giant. But we are not afraid of them.” Bullets interim coach Gilbert Chirwa admitted memories of last season’s defeat to Hammers still haunt them, making the fixture a tricky one. “The boys are ready.

We told them not to underrate Hammers. This is a cup game and cup games are always a difficult,” he said. Hammers booked their semi-final place after a dramatic quarter-final victory in which despite playing with two men down for a good part fo the second-half due to red cards, they scored an equaliser deep into added time, before winning on penalties.

The result denied fans an anticipated Blantyre derby against rivals Wanderers. However, Chirwa said as Bullets, they were prepared to face whoever won and that it did not matter that Wanderers were booted out. “We were actually expecting the team that was going to win.

So it’s the team that qualifies at quarter-finals that we’re expecting to meet and that team is Mzuzu City Hammers. For sure we are ready for them” he said.

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