Africa-Press – Malawi. History beckons for defending champions FCB Nyasa Big Bullets and Silver Strikers as they clash in the 2025 Airtel Top 8 final at Bingu National Stadium Sunday.
Bullets will go into tomorrow’s final as the team to have mastered the art of lifting the trophy than any other side.
They have won three Airtel Top 8 titles in seven seasons this far.
And tomorrow, they have a chance to extend the record if they win.
Bullets, who are the defending champions, won it for the first time in 2021 before 2023 and last year.
On the other hand, Silver are chasing to equal Bullets’ record in the competition having won two titles since 2017.
Silver, who were inaugural winners in 2017, can stop Bullets from setting a new record of winning four straight Airtel Top 8 titles.
Tomorrow’s battle is a historic final as the two teams will face each other for the third time at this stage since 2017.
But Silver lost on both occasions in 2021 and 2024.
In 2021, Bullets won 5-3 on post-match penalties after a 1-1 stalemate at Kamuzu Stadium before a 1-0 win last year courtesy of Ernest Petro’s goal.
Silver will be looking for a third time luck Sunday.
But overall, this will be the fifth meeting between Bullets and Silver in the Airtel Top 8 at various stages since its inception.
They first met in the inaugural edition at the quarterfinals staged when Silver knocked Bullets out of the Airtel Top 8 following a 1-0 victory on aggregate.
Then, Victor Limbani scored the only goal of the two-legged tie at BNS.
Silver went on to win the competition after beating Mighty Wanderers 10-9 on post-match penalties at the same venue.
In 2022, Bullets and Silver also met in the Airtel Top 8 semi-final but The People’s Team triumphed 3-1 at Kamuzu Stadium.
There are several interesting facts about Sunday’s final as Peter Mponda and Peter Mgangira worked together last season at Silver before the former returned to Bullets.
Bullets will make their fifth consecutive Airtel Top 8 final appearance since 2021 and overall sixth final since its inception.
Should they lose tomorrow, it will be a third loss in the final having lost 1-0 to Blue Eagles in 2018 before a 5-3 loss on post-match penalties to Wanderers in 2022.
On the other hand, this will be Silver’s second consecutive final appearance and fifth overall. Silver have lost twice in the Airtel Top 8 decider on both occasions to Bullets.
Eagles and Wanderers have one Airtel Top 8 title each.
At stake is K35 million prize money for the champions-up from K30 million last year
For More News And Analysis About Malawi Follow Africa-Press
