Airtel Top 8 Cup has bounced back in Malawi after a two-year absence, with plenty at stake for the country’s selected elite league participating teams.

Airtel Malawi Managing Director, Charles Kamoto, announced the return of the cup on Wednesday morning in the commercial capital, Blantyre, at a ceremony which Football Association of Malawi president Walter Nyamilandu graced.

Kamoto announced that the cup’s overall sponsorship for the next three years had been hiked from $264,000 (MK198 million) to $312,000 (MK234 million).

Following the hike, champions will now be pocketing $22,666, up from $20,000.

“At Airtel, we believe in football. We love football. At every opportunity that we have to partner with football, we always look forward to that. Here we are today, it has happened again,” Kamoto said.

Kamoto said the competition did not take place last year due the Covid-19 pandemic.

“In 2020, we were disturbed by Covid-19 so we took a kind of ‘wait and see strategy’. As we see things toning down– hope it continues to be like that–we said this is now time to come back,” he said.

 Airtel has returned after its initial three-year sponsorship from the year 2017  expired in 2019.

In his speech, Nyamilandu hailed Airtel for returning with the sponsorship despite the challenges which Covid-19 has posed.

“Airtel has offered football fraternity another reason to smile. The news you have shared is too sweet to the ear. Despite Covid-19, you have managed to raise the sponsorship. To set aside K234 million in this time of Covid-19, is not a small feat,” he said

Each of the eight participating teams will be receiving $1.333 starterpack.

There are also prizes for individuals such as top scorer and player of the tournament.

Top-eight finishers in the elite TNM Super League are eligible for the tournament.

Silver Striker were the inaugural Airtel Top 8 champions in 2017, before Blue Eagles won it the following year then  Silver Strikers in 2019.