The Football Association of Malawi (FAM) has released the list of nominees for the 2025/26 Castel Challenge Cup Individual Awards.
Four accolades are up for grabs: Player of the Tournament, Discovery of the Tournament, Best Goalkeeper, and Top Goal Scorer.
The Top Goal Scorer award has already been decided, with Maxwell Phodo Gasten of FCB Nyasa Big Bullets finishing as the leading scorer in the competition.
The Player of the Tournament award will be contested by Donex Mwakasinga of Goshen City Dedza Dynamos, alongside FCB Nyasa Big Bullets duo Maxwell Gasten and Innocent Nyasulu.
Nyasulu and Mwakasinga have also earned nominations for Best Goalkeeper of the Tournament, where they will compete against Precious Masamba of Blue Eagles.
For the Discovery of the Tournament award, Lameck Mithi of Moyale Barracks has been nominated and will contest the accolade alongside Alex Msiska of Mzuzu City Hammers.
The winners of the awards will be unveiled at the FAM Annual Football Awards, scheduled to take place on 6 March 2026 at COMESA Hall in Blantyre.
Player of the Tournament
Name: Maxwell Phodo Gasten
Position: Forward
Club: FCB Nyasa Big Bullets
Number of games Played: 5
Number of games started: 5
Total Minutes played: 441
Goals: 7
POTM: 3
Maxwell was one of the ever-present players for FCB Nyasa Big Bullets as they won the 2025/26 Castel Challenge Cup. He started all five matches, scoring seven goals, and finished as the top scorer of the competition, guiding the Bullets to the title.
Name: Donnex Mwakasinga
Position: Goalkeeper
Club: Goshen city Dedza Dynamos
Number of games Played: 5
Number of games started: 5
Total Minutes played: 450
Clean sheets: 2
POTM: 2
Mwakasinga was outstanding in goal for the Dedza-based side, guiding them to their first-ever Castel Challenge Cup final. He kept two clean sheets, won two Player of the Match awards, and made a crucial penalty save against Blue Eagles that helped propel the team to the final.
Name: Innocent Nyasulu
Position: Goalkeeper
Club: FCB Nyasa big Bullets
Number of games Played: 5
Number of games started: 5
Total Minutes played: 450
Clean sheets: 3
In FCB Nyasa Big Bullets’ Castel Challenge Cup triumph, one of the key performers was goalkeeper Nyasulu’. He played all five matches, keeping three clean sheets and conceding just two goals in 450 minutes between the posts, highlighting his crucial role in the team’s success.
Goalkeeper of the Tournament
Name: Donnex Mwakasinga
Position: Goalkeeper
Club: Goshen city Dedza Dynamos
Number of games Played: 5
Number of games started: 5
Total Minutes played: 450
Clean sheets: 2
POTM: 2
(Briefs as above)
Name: Innocent Nyasulu
Position: Goalkeeper
Club: FCB Nyasa big Bullets
Number of games Played: 5
Number of games started: 5
Total Minutes played: 450
Clean sheets: 3
(Briefs as above)
Name: Precious Masamba
Position: Goalkeeper
Club: Blue Eagles
Number of games Played: 4
Number of games started: 4
Total Minutes played: 360
Clean sheets: 1
Precious Masamba was solid between the posts for Blue Eagles throughout the tournament, featuring in every match. He kept one clean sheet and conceded three goals, playing a key role in his team’s campaign.
Discovery of the season
Name: Alex Msiska
Position: Midfielder
Club: Mzuzu City Hammers
Number of games Played: 5
Number of games started:5
Total Number of Minutes played:394
Goals: 2
Msiska had a remarkable debut season in the elite division. He was highly influential for Mzuzu City Hammers in the Castel Challenge Cup, scoring two goals and playing in every match as he helped the team reach the semifinals.
Name: Lameck Mithi
Position: Midfielder
Club: Moyale Barracks
Number of games Played: 2
Number of games started: 2
Total Minutes played: 180
Goals: 2
Mithi made an immediate impact for the Mzuzu-based side, featuring in two matches and scoring two goals in the competition. His contributions helped guide Moyale Barracks to the Round of 16.
