Bullets host Al Hilal with remote hope of overturning 4-0 first leg loss

Bullets host Al Hilal this Sunday at the Kamuzu Stadium with remote hope of overturning a 4-0 first leg loss to the Sudanese giants in the 2015 Caf Champions League first round.

As if the challenge of needing a five-goal margin win is not enough, Bullets will be without head coach Nsanzurwimo Ramadhan who is afraid of his safety after being chased from the training ground by knife-wielding fans during the week for allegedly being associated with out-of-favour chairperson Kondi Msungama.

As we went to press, Al Hilal were unhappy with the Bullets’ reception amid disagreements over the Malawi champions’ failure to return the favour of hosting the visitors who did the same during the first leg played in Khartoum.

So bad is the in-fighting at Bullets many fear for the future of the Malawi champions, who sailed past Fomboni 3-2 on aggregate in the preliminary round to date Al Hilal.

The Sudanese side saw off KMKM from Zanzibar also in the preliminary round. On paper, Al Hilal, who boast talent such as Liberian international David Simbo, are more experienced.

Al Hilal finished in the quarterfinal last year whereas the Bullets’ last played in the continental league in 2004 when they reached the last eight band.

Fischer Kondowe, survivor from that Bullets squad alongside James Chilapondwa, is now the captain. Kondowe is rallying his troops that anything is possible in football.

“We are not affected by the wrangles as our job is to just play football. There is still hope, but ultimately it all depends on when we can give it 100 percent on Sunday,” Kondowe said on Friday.

Kondowe is expected to dictate matters from the right wing with fellow senior citizen James Chilapondwa instilling midfield discipline.

Since Bullets need more goals, that responsibility rests on the shoulders of Tizgobele Kumwenda who has netted twice in three outings.

Al Hilal are on the verge of reaching the group stage of the continental event after hammering Big Bullets 4-0 in the first leg at Khartoum’s Omdurman Stadium where Mudathir Careca scored twice in a one-sided affair.