Silver Strikers’ attacker Festus Duwe will win the 2025 Airtel Top 8 Zamadolo Golden Boot award even if he fails to score in this Sunday’s final against FCB Nyasa Bullets unless one of his closest contenders hits at least a hat-trick.
With three goals to his name so far, the Central Banker has two more than six of his contenders in teammates Stain Davie, Nickson Mwase and Emmanuel Allan alongside Bullets players Maxwell Gasten Phodo, Hassan Kajoke and Chikumbutso Salima.
Karonga United’s Alfred Chizinga also has a goal but is no longer in contention for the scorers’ accolade after his team was booted out at semi-final stage.
With an almost insurmountable advantage ahead of the ultimate battle for glory in the next two days at Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe, Duwe yesterday said if given a chance to feature in the final, he would want to score more to take his tally further out of reach.
However, he said his main focus is not on pursuing personal glory but helping his team secure a third Airtel Top 8 trophy after doing it in the inaugural season in 2017 and in 2019.
So far, defending champions Bullets are record holders, having won the trophy in 2021, 2023 and 2024.
Blue Eagles and Mighty Wanderers did it once apiece in 2018 and 2022, respectively.
“What is very important for me is to help my team win the tournament. So, whether someone else scores for us, I will be very much delighted. It will also be great if I get a scoring chance,” said Duwe.
The midfielder scored his first goal in the 1-0 victory over Moyale Barracks in the quarter-final first leg before a brace in the 3-1 second-leg win away catapulted him to the summit of the scorers’ chart.
At present, Bullets striker Babatunde Adepoju hold the record for the highest number of goals in a season in the competition, having won the 2022 Golden Boot Award with nine goals.
He also grabbed the 2021 accolade with eight goals.
Otherwise, it has been low-scoring players that have been securing the scorers’ award since the inaugural season in 2017.
Khumbo Ng’ambi and Chinsinsi Maonga won the inaugural golden boot in 2017 and 2024, respectively, with three goals each. Joseph Kamwendo, Khuda Muyaba and Lanjesi Nkhoma did with two goals in 2018, 2019 and 2023 in that order.
Football Association of Malawi competitions and communications director Gomezgani Zakazaka yesterday said “all eyes will be on Duwe to see if he can secure the Golden Boot or begin his own chase of Babatunde’s record”.
