As the cup nears its end, the stage is set for what promises to be a thrilling Castel Challenge Cup semifinal weekend.
The Football Association of Malawi (FAM) confirmed the semifinal fixtures, with Dedza Dynamos facing Blue Eagles at Kamuzu Stadium on Saturday, before FCB Nyasa Big Bullets take on Mzuzu City Hammers at the same venue on Sunday.
These clashes mark some of the most eagerly anticipated matches of the domestic cup season, with fans across the country waiting to see who will make it to the final.
This competition ignites the dreams of many clubs, especially the underdogs, who are given a fair bite at Malawi’s soccer knockout contest.
Going into this semifinal weekend, Bullets, who won the competition in its inaugural year in 2023, will be the big dogs against Hammers, the runners-up in the 2024 season.
At the other end, Dedza, semifinalists for the first time in this competition, will also play host to Eagles, another debutant semifinalist, in a highly anticipated clash.
Let’s preview the two games, and let’s also take a look at how the four teams have fared in this competition since 2023:
Semifinal One
Dedza Dynamos vs. Blue Eagles
The first semifinal clash will see Goshen Dedza Dynamos face Blue Eagles FC on Saturday afternoon in what promises to be a tightly contested encounter.
The two sides have met only twice in knockout football, during the 2022 Airtel Top 8 quarterfinals, which were decided over two legs.
Blue Eagles took firm control in the first leg with a convincing 3-0 victory at Nankhaka Stadium.
Dynamos responded bravely in the return leg, winning 2-0, but the effort fell just short as Eagles progressed 3-2 on aggregate.
Now, years later, the teams cross paths again—this time in a different competition and at a more decisive stage.
Image: Blue Eagles in action
While Dynamos will be eager to rewrite history, Blue Eagles arrive with the confidence that comes from a proven pedigree in cup competitions.
With their experience in navigating high-pressure knockout matches, Eagles will fancy their chances of success once more, but Dynamos’ resilience will make this contest an exciting contest and very unpredictable one.
Were they to upset Eagles, who remain the favorites to win the battle, it would be an extraordinary feat, especially considering that they have been in the top-flight league for just five seasons.
Image: Dynamos against Ekhaya FC
Dynamos’s stats in this competition…
In the inaugural season in 2023, they started their campaign with a comfortable 5-1 victory over St. Louis High School in the Round of 64 to book a Round of 32 showdown with Karonga United.
In that match, the regulation time ended 2-2, but Dynamos sailed through with a 5-4 shootout win to advance to the last 16, where Hammers were the next opposition.
Hammers got the better of their opponents on penalties, beating them 5-6 following a 1-1 result in the regulation time.
In the 2024 season, they beat Challengers FC 3-0 in the Round of 32 but were knocked out by a Premier Division side, MMF Marines, on penalties following a goalless draw in the regulation time.
Their breakthrough in this competition came in the current campaign as they have progressed from the Round of 32 to the semis.
They traveled to Mchinji to play Creck Sporting Club in the Round of 32 at Aubrey Dimba Stadium, from which they comfortably won 3-1.
Their next opponent was Karonga United, a familiar opposition in this competition. Dynamos sailed through with a hard-fought 1-0 win over the Northern Region-based side to set up a quarterfinal clash against Ekhaya FC in Blantyre.
Two second-half strikes saw them beat Ekhaya FC 2-0 to reach the semifinal of the cup for the first time in their history.
Overall, they have scored 17 goals and conceded only five goals in eight matches in the competition.
Eagles’ stats in Castel Challenge Cup
They knocked out Panthers FC 4-0 in the Round of 64 to advance to the Round of 32, where they eliminated Extreme FC with a hard-fought 1-0 victory to set up a Round of 16 clash against Kamuzu Barracks, their closest rivals in Lilongwe.
They got the better of their rivals with a comfortable 3-1 win to reach the last eight, where Silver Strikers were the next opposition.
This is where their journey ended as they lost 4-2 to the Central Bankers.
In the 2024 season, they were eliminated at their earliest stage, losing 2-1 to the Central Bankers in the Round of 32.
Their redemption came in this campaign as they knocked out Mafco FC 1-0 in the Round of 32, beating Airborne Rangers 5-1 in the last 16 to set up a quarterfinal clash with Chitipa United, where they comfortably won 4-1 to reach the semis.
They have scored 21 goals and conceded eight goals in eight matches.
Semifinal Two
FCB Nyasa Big Bullets vs. Mzuzu City Hammers
Before Sunday’s victory for the Hammers in the quarterfinal tie against Mighty Wanderers—Bullets’ crosstown rivals, one thought dominated the Bullets camp: the looming prospect of yet another Blantyre Derby against opponents who had already beaten them three times this season.
With 90 minutes on the clock, the fourth Blantyre Derby was indeed looming as the defending champions seemed home and dry. They led 1-0 and enjoyed a two-man advantage—conditions under which most would consider the match finished.
But football has a habit of humbling favorites. True to form, Hammers struck in the 94th minute to force penalties, where they held their nerve to win 5–3. The comeback victory sets up a second consecutive semifinal showdown against Bullets.
For Bullets, this was a breather- they couldn’t face Wanderers, who had already beaten them twice in the league before eliminating them in the FDH Bank Cup.
However, there is no time to celebrate for the most successful team in the land, though. They play Hammers, giant killers, for a place in the final.
Image: Bullets in action against Tigers last week
A victory will see Bullets reach their second final in this competition.
Coincidentally, the last team to defeat Bullets in this competition was Hammers. They beat Bullets 1-4 on penalties after a goalless draw in regulation time.
The Mzuzu-based side was relegated to the National First Division at the end of the 2025 league campaign following a troubled season.
However, in this competition, they have sailed smoothly. Even in stormy waters, Lazarus Nyemera, who is in charge of the club, and his charges, have circumvented the wild waves with the definition of a giant-killing feat.
This will be the third meeting between the two teams in this competition. Both teams have one victory each. Bullets recorded a 4-0 win to beat Hammers in the quarterfinals, while Hammers beat Bullets 1-4 on penalties in the semifinal contest last season.
Bullets’ statistics in this competition
The inaugural campaign saw Bullets opening their campaign with a 2-0 victory over Lipulumundu Stars in the Round of 64 to set up a Round 32 tie against Soche Madrid, from which they won 4-2.
In the Round of 16, Bullets faced fellow Super League side Civil Service United. The People’s Team dominated with a comfortable 3-0 win before advancing to the last eight, where they hammered Mzuzu City Hammers (then Ekwendeni Hammers) 4-0.
The victory over Hammers set up a semifinal clash against Wanderers, which ended 1-1, but Bullets triumphed 4-2 on penalties to reach the final. Here, Silver Strikers were the next opposition.
In the final, it ended 1-1, and the Bullets were crowned champions through post-match penalties, beating the Central Bankers 4-2 following yet another 1-1 result in normal time.
In the following season, Bullets failed to defend their title.
They started the campaign with a 22-1 statement win over Kumanda FC, the largest winning margin in the competition’s history.
Thereafter, they hammered Changalume Barracks 5-0 to progress to the Round of 16, where they faced Hill Top FC at Mzuzu Stadium. Bullets needed a first-half strike from Ephraim Kondowe to secure a hard-fought victory that saw the team advancing to the last eight, where MMF Marines were the opposition.
Bullets got the better of the Soldiers with a 3-1 win to set up a semifinal clash against Hammers, which they eventually lost 4-1 on penalties following a goalless draw in the regulation time.
In the current campaign, they eliminated Songwe Border United in the Round of 32, beating them 3-0 at Karonga Stadium. They advanced to the last 16, where they came from behind to beat Ndirande Stars 3-1 to set up a quarterfinal match against Mighty Tigers.
Their latest 2-0 win over Tigers in the quarterfinals was their 13th win since their launch in 2023, scoring 52 goals and conceding just six. Their biggest victory remains the 22-1 demolition of Kumanda FC, while the only goalless match came against Saturday’s opposition, a match which is their only loss in this knockout Cup.
Bullets are the only side to reach their third straight semifinal slot in this cup.
Hammers’s statistics
In the 2023 season, their journey ended in the quarterfinal stage. They successfully beat Kadona Stars 2-0 in the Round of 64, Raiply FC 4-1 in the Round of 32, and Dedza Dynamos (now Goshen Dedza Dynamos) 6-5 on penalties in the Round of 16 after the regulation time ended 1-1.
However, they couldn’t beat Bullets in the last eight as they lost 4-0 to exit the competition.
The 2024 season was the redemption year for the Mzuzu-based side. Firstly, they finished fourth in the league standings, earning 48 points in thirty games.
Secondly, they made it to the final of the Castel Challenge Cup in a memorable fashion.
They started their campaign with a comfortable 4-0 win over Kameme FC to set up a Round of 16 tie against Tigers. They won 1-0 to progress to the quarterfinals, where they eliminated Karonga United 3-1 on penalties following a barren draw in normal time.
In the semis, they beat Bullets, who were the defending champions, 1-4 on penalties after the regulation time ended 0-0.
Unfortunately for them, with less than five minutes left to play, they conceded a goal to end up on the losing side as Wanderers claimed their first Castel Challenge Cup trophy.
In the current campaign, they faced Home Sweepers in Round 32, from which they won 2-5 to reach the Round of 16, where they hosted Silver Strikers.
Hammers came from behind to beat them 2-1 to set up a quarterfinal clash against Wanderers.
The rookies, with nine men in the field of play, fought hard to equalize in the additional minutes before claiming the victory from the spot, beating the Nomads 5-3 after a 1-1 result in the normal time.
Overall, they have registered 10 wins in 12 appearances in the competition, scoring 20 goals and also conceding 20 goals. They recorded their highest win this season by beating Home Sweepers 2-5.
Image: Hammers in action
Their heaviest defeat was a 4-0 loss to Bullets in the quarterfinals in the 2023 season.
For Bullets, they know that there is no room for complacency, especially at this stage. Just ask Silver Strikers or Wanderers, who were left nursing their wounds after being bitten by Hammers in the current campaign.
For the rookies, this is a golden chance to rewrite history. Knockout football is unpredictable-on any given day, the script can be torn apart. We have seen Malumo Gallants defy the odds to win the Carling Black Label Cup in South Africa, Crystal Palace stun Liverpool in the FA Cup, and countless other moments where belief beat reputation.
Images courtesy of FAM Media, Hammers Media, Dynamos Media, and Blue Eagles Media
