The 2024 Airtel Top 8 is beyond a final as it will set the new record of a team to have won it the most between Silver Strikers and FCB Nyasa Big Bullets.
Both sides have won the tournament twice since its inception in 2017. Silver Strikers won it in 2017 and 2019 whilst FCB Nyasa Big Bullets won the same in 2021 and 2023.
Déjà vu! The 2024 finalists launched the tournament on 13 May 2017 where Silver Strikers won 1-0 at Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe.
In the following year, The Central Bankers were knocked out of the tournament in the semi-finals by eventual winners Blue Eagles FC who beat FCB Nyasa Big Bullets through a last-minute penalty taken by Stuart Mbunge.
29 June 2019 is a date most Silver Strikers fans cannot forget as the Area 47 side won 1-0 in the final match against Karonga United where Khuda Muyaba was the lone scorer that afternoon.
In 2020, the Airtel Top 8 was not played due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Come 2021, the Central Bankers fought tooth and nail to get to the final of the tournament and they did. In the final match played at Kamuzu Stadium, Silver Strikers played against FCB Nyasa Big Bullets where in regulation time the match ended 1 all courtesy of goals from Lanjesi Nkhoma for the red side whilst from the sky-blue side Stanie Davie headed home a beautiful ball that kept us in the run for a while. The final had a sad end on our side as Levison Maganizo missed his spot kick to end the match at 5-4.
FCB Nyasa Big Bullets got to the finals of the Airtel Top 8 again in 2022 as we bowed out of the tournament in the semifinal stage when they beat us 3-1. The following year, MAFCO had to come from behind to end our trail in the tournament after we lost in post-match penalties at Bingu National Stadium.
Reaching this far, we have played in all Airtel Top 8 tournaments since 2017 and we have always reached the semifinals of the tournament. We have lost twice in the semi-final stage, in 2018 and 2023, whilst losing in the final stage only once.
Duncan Nyoni, Chisomo Mpachika, Mark Fodya, Binwell Katinji, and Levison Maganizo (with a short stint at Kamuzu Barracks) are the five Bankers who have represented the Area 47 side in the tournament since 2017.
To reach the final stage this year, we had to beat Premier Bet Dedza Dynamos 6-2 on aggregate in the quarterfinals before beating Mighty Mukuru Wanderers 1-0 in the semi final phase. FCB Nyasa Big Bullets on the other end beat Civil Service United 2-0 on aggregate in the quarterfinal stage before winning 2-0 against Kamuzu Barracks in the semifinals.
Come rain come sunshine, this tie will have to be broken come Saturday!
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