The Airtel Top 8 Season 7 rolls into life as holders FCB Nyasa Big Bullets begin their title defence against Civil Service United in the first leg at Kamuzu Stadium this afternoon.
Introduced in 2017, Bullets and Silver Strikers are the only teams that have won the competition twice each.
Blue Eagles, then playing in the top flight league and Mighty Mukuru Wanderers are the other teams to have won the cup.
Silver won the inaugural edition after beating Wanderers 10-9 on post-match penalties at Bingu National Stadium before Eagles won it following a 1-0 victory over Bullets at the same venue in 2018.
Then, in 2019, Silver claimed their second Airtel Top 8 title with a 1-0 victory over Karonga United at BNS.
The competition was not played in 2020 due to Covid-19 pandemic.
But it returned in 2021 which saw Bullets claiming their first ever title of the competition following a 5-3 victory over Silver on post-match penalties at Kamuzu Stadium. The following year, it was the turn of Wanderers, who defeated their rivals Bullets by a similar margin at BNS.
However, Bullets reclaimed the title after beating Mafco 2-1.
As the 2024 edition begins, the stakes are high after Airtel Malawi increased sponsorship.
Bullets and Civil are familiar foes having met at the same stage last season. But Bullets defeated Civil 3-2 on aggregate after winning the first leg 2-0 at Civo Stadium before a 2-1 loss at Kamuzu Stadium. Straight from a 3-2 defeat to Eagles in the FDH Bank Cup final, Bullets would be looking for a quick response against Civil.
Bullets Assistant Coach Michael Ngore said the loss to Eagles was water under the bridge.
“We understand what happened in the FDH Cup final. Losing is part of the game. A man is judged not by the way he stays down after falling but by the way he picks himself up. So, we are ready to pick ourselves up and go again,” Ngore said.
Bullets also beat Civil 1-0 in the quarterfinals of the FDH Bank Cup at the same venue.
The two teams also met in the Castel Challenge Cup in which Bullets won 3-0 last season.
On his part, Civil Coach Abasi Makawa said they are tired of playing second fiddle to Bullets.
“We are going there for revenge. We will go out with our guns blazing. We have no option but to beat them this time,” Makawa said.
On Sunday, Wanderers will face Bangwe All Stars at Kamuzu Stadium in the first leg.
Chitipa United will host Kamuzu Barracks at Karonga Stadium.
The other quarter-final first leg tie between Silver and Premier Bet Dedza Dynamos will take place on Wednesday.
The champions of this year’s trophy will pocket K30 million up from K17.5 million.
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