FCB Nyasa Bullets have dominated the nominations for the 2025 Airtel Top 8 Player of the Tournament Award after two of their players made the three-man shortlist unveiled by the Football Association of Malawi (FAM). Forward Maxwell Gasten Phodo and defender Blessings Mpokera have been nominated alongside Festus Duwe of Silver Strikers. FAM announced the nominees on Thursday, stating that the winner will be revealed during a special awards ceremony to be hosted by Airtel Malawi on a date yet to be confirmed.
According to the association, the shortlist was compiled by the competitions technical study group following an in-depth assessment of match statistics and overall performances throughout the tournament. Said FAM in a statement: “The nominations were selected after analysing performances across the competition. The winner will be decided through a voting process involving a group of coaches from the National Football Coaches Association, who were responsible for naming the player of the match awards during the competition, together with selected sports journalists.” Silver midfielder Duwe enjoyed an outstanding campaign, scoring three goals in three matches to finish as the tournament’s top scorer.
He also collected two Player of the Match awards and featured for 252 minutes during the competition. Phodo, meanwhile, made a significant impact for Bullets despite limited game time. The forward, who also won 2025 Castel Challenge Cup golden boot and player of the tournament awards, played 171 minutes in four matches, starting twice.
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He scored two crucial goals, including one in the final that helped Bullets successfully defend the title. At the back, Mpokera was a pillar of strength in the Bullets defence, playing every minute of the team’s title-winning campaign. He helped the side keep two clean sheets, including a strong defensive showing against Creck Sporting Club.
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