Malawi: Bullets drilled in mental health, money tactics

Beyond fine-tuning for the action on the field of play, Malawi giants FCB Nyasa Big Bullets have prepared their players with mental and financial tactics ahead of the 2026-2027 season.

Bullets players, just like for other clubs in Malawi and beyond, struggle after hanging up their boots often surviving on handouts. It is all about the curse of making enough money in a career that only lasts 10 years until the age of 30 then facing the world for the rest of the life with no fallback source of income or career.

The People’s Team held a workshop on Easter Monday covering Laws of the Game, mental resilience & finance ahead of the new season.

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— FCB Nyasa Big Bullets (@nyasabigbullets) April 7, 2026

Dropping out of school and spending on cars, beer and women are usually the causes of financial struggles.

Realising such challenges, the record 17-time Super League (now FDH Bank Premiership) champions held a workshop in the commercial city of Blantyre earlier this week to empower their stars with financial literacy and mental health knowledge.

CAF referees’ instructor Michael Makoto drilled the players in the Laws of the Game, social counsellor Madalo Hadji tackled mental health issues while Chisomo Malizani shared financial literacy skills.

Invest for rainy day—FCB Nyasa Big Bullets players told

Malizani, as quoted by Bullets website, told the players: “Money-making is like a game. Just like football, it is governed by rules. Players are at their peak—marketable and valuable—but football is a short-term career.”

Therefore, Malizani cautioned the players against spending their money on mere consumption goods, stressing the need for investing for the rainy day.

“Players must avoid failure to plan and poor debt-management. Debt should not be used for consumption or liabilities but for investment,” he added.

How Bullets FC players can manage stress and social media

Taking his turn, Haji shared with the players tips on how to manage stress and pressure that comes with playing for a team with a following of estimated six million supporters.

“Players face a lot of public scrutiny from supporters, social media and journalists, often with people focusing on mistakes as well as their daily lives,” she said.

Bullets acting chief executive officer Albert Chigoga said they hosted the workshop because the club cares for the mental and financial well-being of their players.

“We are encouraged by the response. Some players have already started opening financial investment accounts. It shows they are not just listening but also taking action,” he said.

When will FDH Bank Premiership season get underway?

The 2026-2027 FDH Bank Premiership season will kick off on April 25 and run until February 2027.

The opening week of the season will see defending champions Mighty Wanderers welcoming Karonga United at Kamuzu Stadium in Blantyre while Bullets will be on the road to kickstart the season with Civil Service United in Lilongwe as Kamuzu Barracks FC host 2024 champions Silver Strikers.

The ultimate Malawi league champions take part in the CAF Champions League while the bottom three clubs are relegated at the end of every season to the second-tier league, paving the way for newly promoted regional league champions.