Elite football is back in Malawi this weekend as the 2025 season officially kicks off with the NBS Bank Charity Shield, bringing thrilling action for the fans who’ve been eagerly awaiting the return of the beautiful game.
For FCB Nyasa Big Bullets, April offers a chance to restore our dominance—a moment to regroup and strive for multiple trophies, having claimed only the Airtel Top 8 cup from the remarkable quadruple triumph in the 2023 season.
Following his return to Bullets, Peter Mponda embarks on his 2025 campaign with an electrifying test, as the first of five fixtures this month pits us against his former club, the reigning TNM Super League champions, Silver Strikers. Mponda was instrumental in helping the team clinch their first league title in over a decade.
The season opener, set for April 5 at Bingu National Stadium, will mark the second time in three years that Bullets kick off the TNM Super League against the Area 47 outfit.
When these two teams faced off at this venue to kick off the 2023 season, the match concluded in a thrilling 1-1 stalemate. Lanjesi Nkhoma opened the scoring early in the second half to put Bullets ahead, but a late equalizer from Nickson Mwase ensured the spoils were shared.
After this thrilling opener, Bullets’ focus will shift to the Airtel Top 8 Cup. For the first time, this knockout tournament will kick off early in the season, breaking tradition as it typically takes place toward the end of the campaign.
Interestingly, Bullets will not face their familiar rivals Civil Service United, a fixture they’ve grown accustomed to in this competition over the past five seasons. Instead, they’ll host Crerk Sporting Club on April 12 at Kamuzu Stadium for their first of the two quarterfinal clashes. This will be the debut cup meeting between the two sides.
Just a week later, the teams will square off again at the same venue, this time in a TNM Super League fixture. In the previous season, Bullets picked up four points from two matches against the Lilongwe-based outfit. The first meeting ended in a 1-1 stalemate, but the second encounter was a fierce battle. Despite surrendering a two-goal lead twice, Bullets managed to clinch the match with a dramatic winner. With the teams already locking horns in the Airtel Top 8 Cup quarterfinal, this league match promises to be another electrifying encounter.
Next, Peter Mponda’s men will host newly promoted Songwe Border United in their third league game at Kamuzu Stadium. This will mark the first-ever clash between the two teams.
Rounding off the month, Bullets will once again face Crerk Sporting Club—this time in the second leg of the Airtel Top 8 quarterfinal at Civo Stadium in Lilongwe. The winner of this decisive match will secure a spot in the semifinals of the competition, now in its eighth year.
