Express Football Club is hoping to win their maiden CECAFA Kagame Cup in history when they meet Malawi outfit Nyasa Big bullets on Saturday at the Benjamin Mkapa stadium.

Many think this is the Red Eagle’s best chance of winning the trophy having lost their previous two, 2-1 against Al-Merrikh in 1994 and 5-3 (penalty shootouts) at the hands of Simba the following year.

The Express nation feel the encounter against the Malawian side is an easier contest, but, how well do you know Nyasa?.

Regarded by many as the biggest club in Malawi in terms of fanbase, silverware and financial muscle, Big Bullets bases in Blantyre and currently features in the TNM Super League, the country’s top football division.

Founded in 1967, the club has changed names five times, from Nyasaland Bullets to Bata Bullets, Total Big Bullets, Bakili Bullets before their current, and are codenamed ‘The People’s Team.’

The team is coached by former Zambia National team head coach Callisto Pasuwa with ex-Malawi captain Peter Mponda the assistant. They host their matches at the 50,000-seat Kamuzu Stadium.

Big Bullets are both the defending and record champions of the TNM super league and have previously won it 14 times. In the 2020/21 season, they top the log with 28 points ahead of runners up Silver Strikers on 26.

They also have a mammoth of domestic cups including seven Kamuzu Cup victories, four Castle triumphs, one 555 Challenge Cup, one Embassy trophy, three Carlsberg Cups, four Chifundo Charity shields among others.

The farthest they have made it on the continental level was the group stages of the CAF Champions league in 2004. For each of 2000, 2018 and 2019, they failed to muscle it past the preliminary round.

Their first and only meeting with Wasswa Bbosa’s side was in this year’s Kagame cup, a group stage affair that ended 1-1, Muzamir Mutyaba and Chiukepo Msowoya netting for Express and Big Bullets respectively.