Nyasa Big Bullets will begin the Airtel Top 8 title defence with a quarterfinal first-leg match at home against Karonga United this Saturday.
The fixture released by FAM detailing the first and second legs of the quarterfinal stage of the competition shows that after hosting the visitors at Kamuzu Stadium on 5 November, The People’s Team will travel to Karonga for the return leg on 26 November.
This year the competition will involve teams that finished the first round of the 2022 TNM Super League campaign in the top eight.
The opening weekend will feature two matches, with Mighty Mukuru Wanderers facing Mafco FC at the same Kamuzu Stadium 24 hours after Bullets hosting Karonga.
Kamuzu Barracks will welcome two-time Airtel Top 8 champions Silver Strikers while Dedza Dynamos, in their first top-flight season, will host Blue Eagles in the remaining two quarter-final matches that will be played during the weekend of 19 and 20 November.
The second legs will firstly be played on the weekends of 26 and 27 November, with the final set of matches to be staged on the weekend of 3 and 4 December 2022.
The winner in the quarterfinal match between Bullets and Karonga United will play the winner between Kamuzu Barracks and Silver Strikers in the semis, whilst the winner between Wanderers and Mafco will face Dedza Dynamos or Blue Eagles in the other semi-final match.
The final of the Airtel Top 8 will be played on 17 December 2022 at a venue that the Malawi FA will announce.
It will also mark the end of the 2022 football season in Malawi which started in March this year.
Bullets won the cup last season after they came from behind to beat the Central Bankers 5-4 on penalties following a 1-1 stalemate in regulation time.
Kalisto Pasuwa’s men are eyeing a treble this season after lifting the FDH Bank Cup a week ago and two wins away from defending the TNM Super League.
