Zimpapers Logo

Sports Reporter

FORMER Warriors coach, Callisto Pasuwa, is hoping to beat Covid-19 and join his Malawian team, Nyasa Big Bullets, on a tour of Tanzania, where they are set to feature in the CECAFA Kagame Cup.

Pasuwa, who is coach of the Malawi champions, has been in isolation, for the last two weeks, along with some undisclosed players, who tested positive for the virus.

The club’s chief executive, Suzgo Nyirenda, said the Zimbabwean tactician has been isolating  for the past two weeks, and his assistant, Peter Mponda, has been in charge of the team.

Reports from Malawi also said some undisclosed players, and non-technical members, also tested positive, and have been in isolation.

However, Nyirenda expressed optimism Pasuwa will be cleared to travel with the team to Tanzania, for the regional club tournament.

“He is feeling better now and we are confident that he will travel with the team.”

The Bullets gaffer is also set to miss today’s TNM Super League top-of-the-table clash against Silver Strikers at Kamuzu Stadium.

The team are expected to leave Blantyre, for the Kagame Cup, on Sunday. 

Pasuwa and all Bullets players are expected to undergo another round of Covid-19 tests today, for them to be issued negative Covid-19 test result certificates, which are mandatory for those travelling outside the country.

Football has continued in Malawi, despite the Covid-19 positive results, which have been recorded in the league. 

Mighty Wanderers head coach, Bob Mpinganjira, who also tested positive while with the Flames last month, is also in isolation.

He tested positive, alongside nine Malawi national football team players, while preparing for the COSAFA Cup, in South Africa.

Bullets are expected to use the two-week tournament, as part of their preparations, for the CAF Champions League, which gets underway, in September.

Nine teams will take part in the Kagame Cup, following the withdrawal of APR FC of Rwanda, due to Covid-19 travel restrictions in their country.

Bullets, who are participating at the tournament as guests, have been drawn in Group C, alongside Young Africans of Tanzania and Express FC of Uganda.

Group A has defending champions KCCA FC of Uganda, Le Messenger Ngozi of Burundi and KMKM SC of Zanzibar. 

Adam FC of Tanzania, Altabara FC of South Sudan and Tusker from Kenya are in Group B.

The group winners will qualify for the semi-finals alongside one best runners-up.

The champions will pocket US$100 000.

Pasuwa is hoping to join an elite club of coaches who have won seven league championships, in their first seven seasons, in charge of their clubs.

He won four straight league titles with Dynamos, between 2011 and 2014, after having been recruited by the Glamour Boys, in the final phase of the campaign.

By then, when the Harare giants turned to him, FC Platinum had opened whar appeared to be a gap, which they could not close, in the championship race.

However, Pasuwa turned everything on its head, with his team beating FC Platinum, in the decisive penultimate game of the season, in Zvishavane, to take control of the race.

The Glamour Boys won three more titles, on the spin, after that, and are yet to return to the winners’ podium, since Pasuwa left.

He has won two league titles in Malawi, in the seasons he has been in charge of Bullets, and could make it three, in a row, should they win again, this season.