Silver Stadium set for Airtel Top 8 semis

Silver Stadium in Lilongwe will this weekend host the 2026 Airtel Top 8 semi-finals. The first semi-final will see Ekhaya FC take on Karonga United tomorrow before Mighty Wanderers face Blue Eagles in the second encounter on Sunday. Silver Stadium in Area 47 is hosting both matches despite the availability of other venues in the capital city such as the Bingu National Stadium and Civo Stadium.

Football Association of Malawi (FAM) club licensing and competitions manager Clement Kafwafwa in an interview yesterday justified the decision to stage both matches at the venue, saying the choice was based on logistical and operational considerations. He said: “The decision to schedule all the Airtel Top 8 semi-final matches at Silver Stadium was made after considering several factors, particularly venue availability, suitability, safety and security as well as the operational requirements of the competition. “We are looking forward to competitive, entertaining and high-quality football.

The Airtel Top 8 is one of the country’s major knockout competitions and reaching this stage demonstrates the quality of the participating teams.” FAM operations director Gomezgani Zakazaka in an interview yesterday urged the teams to uphold the spirit of fair play. He said: “We expect the teams to respect their opponents and match officials and demonstrate fair play.. We want the outcome of every match to be determined by what happens on the field of play.

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“At the same time, our appeal is for everyone to enjoy the matches responsibly. There should be no violence, no pitch invasions, no throwing of objects and no conduct that compromises the safety of players, officials or fellow supporters.” The four semi-finalists booked their places with impressive quarter-finals victories. Mighty Wanderers eliminated Creck Sporting Club while Karonga United stunned Silver Strikers.

On the other hand, Ekhaya knocked out defending champions FCB Nyasa Bullets while Blue Eagles advanced after defeating Civil Service United. Malawi Government has launched an audit of major agricultural produce buyers to enforce compliance with gazetted farmgate prices following widespread complaints that farmers are being exploited. Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development Roza Mbilizi announced the move in Parliament on Tuesday when she responded to concerns from legislators on buyers and vendors purchasing produce below the minimum prices set by government.

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