Five out of the 15 TNM Super League teams have dropped out of the championship race, Super League of Malawi (Sulom) statistics indicate.
The clubs that have dropped out of the running are Moyale Barracks, Escom United, Mafco, Bvumbwe Research and Kabwafu FC, according to Sulom fixtures secretary Patrick Chisale.
Blantyre United might be leading the chart, but Silver Strikers remain favourites to retain the championship, courtesy of their highest maximum tally of 67 points. The Bankers have 43 points, two behind United.
United can only go as far as 60 points if they win their remaining five games. Others with realistic prospects are third-placed Big Bullets (42 points) and Red Lions lying fourth on 38 points.
Other teams with mathematical title aspirations are fifth-positioned Mighty Wanderers on 35 points, sixth-rated Civo United on 35 points and eighth-placed Blue Eagles on 33 points.
Also with a maximum tally of 60 points are Bullets who did their title pursuit a favour in beating rivals Mighty Wanderers 3-0 at Kamuzu Stadium on Sunday.
Red Lions have a maximum of 59 points after the 2-0 defeat of inconsistent Azam Tigers in Zomba on Saturday.
The defeat on Wanderers slashed their maximum points to 53 while the ceiling for Civo shrunk to 50 points.
Vincent Chinthenga of Bvumbwe Research is still the leading goalscorer with 13 goals, breaking clear from Sparrow Msowoya from Blantyre United who has 12 goals. Four hundred and thirty-one goals have now been recorded.
