2022 Airtel Top 8 kicks off on November 5 between defending champs Nyasa Big Bullets and Karonga United 

Defending champions Nyasa Big Bullets have been paired with Karonga United to kick off the 2022 edition of the Airtel Top 8 to be played on Saturday, November 5 at Kamuzu Stadium.

Mighty Wanderers v Mafco will be the next next fixture the following day at the same Kamuzu Stadium followed by Blue Eagles against Dedza Dynamos on November 19 at Nankhaka.

Last year’s runner-up Silver Strikers are expected to fight for the title against Kamuzu Barracks on November 20 at a venue yet to be announced.

In the second legs, Karonga United will host the Bullets at Karonga stadium on November 26 with Mafco hosting Wanderers the next day at Chitowe as Dedza Dynamos date Blue Eagles at their Dedza Stadium on December 3 while Kamuzu Barracks will meet Silver Strikers on December 4 — also at a venue yet to be announced.

For the semifinals, winners between Nyasa Big Bullets and Karonga United have been drawn against winners between Silver Strikers and Kamuzu Barracks on December 10.

The other semifinal the following day are between winners of Mighty Wanderers v Mafco and winners of Blue Eagles v Dedza Dynamos.

The final match is schedule for December 17 at a venue yet to be decided.

Sponsored at K78 million, winners will receive K17 million; runners-up K6 million while all participating teams are expected to receive K1 million each.

Golden Boot winner and Player of the Tournament shall each receive K500,000 while Man of the Match in each game is expected to receive K50,000.

The teams qualified for the championship after finishing in the top 8 of the first round of the 2022 TNM Super League as follows:

1. Nyasa Big Bullets

2. Blue Eagles

3. Mighty Mukuru Wanderers 4. Silver Strikers

5. Kamuzu Barracks

6. MAFCO

7. Dedza Dynamos

8. Karonga United

The home teams for the quarterfinals are the clubs that finished in the top four positions of the 2022 Super League season first round and were drawn such that;

Quarterfinal 1: Position 1 to play position 8;

Quarterfinal 2: Position 2 to play position 7;

Quarterfinal 3: Position 3 to play position 6; and

Quarterfinal 3: Position 4 to play position 5.

The Cup will be played on knockout basis from the quarterfinals on a home and away basis, where away goals and goal aggregate score rules shall apply while the semifinals and final shall be played on knockout basis in single fixtures.

The theme and kit presentation will be unveiled on Wednesday, November 2.

Nyasa Big Bullets, who have just added the 2022 FDH Bank Cup on their trophy trove last week after beating Nyasa Big Bullets Reserve, won the Airtel Top 8 title last year after beating Silver strikers 5-3 on post match penalties whose regulation time ended 1-1.

The People’s team won the title for the first time having reached the final in 2018 but lost it to Blue Eagles by a goal to nil at Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe.

The runners-up Silver Strikers FC was their their third final after winning it in 2017 and 2019 after defeating Mighty Wanderers and Karonga United respectively.

Bullets’ Babatunde Adepoju, who is also gunning for the Golden Boot in the TNM Super League, scored eight goals in the 2021 Airtel Top 8 to claim the top scorer award.