* As FAM releases all the fixtures ahead of the official launch of the country’s top tier national women’s league between Nyasa Big Bullets and Kukoma Ntopwa at Mpira Stadium Saturday
* First round to conclude by end of November 2015 and in between are international matches of FIFA U20 World Cup qualifiers; COSAFA Championship and WAfCON qualifier
By Duncan Mlanjira
The inaugural National Bank Women’s Premiership, which will be launched on Saturday at Mpira Stadium with a match between Nyasa Big Bullets and Kukoma Ntopwa kicking off at 14h30, is set to conclude in February to determine the first title holders and Malawi’s representatives at the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Women’s Champions League.
Football Association of Malawi (FAM) has released the full 2025/26 fixtures indicating that the first round is set to conclude by end of November 2015 and in between are international matches.
These internationals are FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup qualifiers (first leg Sep. 19-21 and Sep. 26-28 second leg); Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (COSAFA) Women’s Championship (October 2-18) and the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAfCON) qualifiers against Angola (October 21-29).
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The K450 million National Bank sponsorship for women football has catered for the Premiership at K280 million of which K150 million goes towards Malawi Scorchers’ international needs.
The National Bank Premiership 2025 rolls out further in earnest on Sunday, July 27, involving the other participating teams — as MK Academy take on Civil Service at Mzuzu Stadium @ 11h00; MDF Lionesses v Silver Strikers at Champions Stadium @ 14h30; Moyale Sisters v Mighty Wanderers Queens at Mzuzu Stadium @ 14h30 and Ascent Soccer v Topik Academy at Ascent @ 14h30.
The league preceded a national playoff between MDF Lionesses from the Central Region, Chitoliro Heroines from the South and Mzuzu City Hammers, which was won by the MDF Lionesses.
If the goals scored in the playoffs to determine the 10th team count as a rollover into the National Bank Women’s Premiership, then MDF Lionesses’ Fazila Chembekezo and Asimenye Simwaka are already leading having bagged in six goals each in the two games played.
Fazila claimed two hat-tricks in 8-1 thrashing of Mzuzu City Hammers on Thursday and in 7-1 whipping of Chitoliro Heroines Saturday afternoon — while Asimenye scored a hat-trick plus one more against Mzuzu City Hammers and two against Chitoliro Heroines.
Unstoppable Asimenye Simwaka in action in the playoffs
Against Mzuzu City Hammers, Asimenye scored in 36th, 43rd, 74th to claim her hat-trick and the 4th goal in the 82nd while Fazila claimed her hat-trick in 36th, 42nd and 45+1’.
The other goal was from Salome Vinkhumbo in the 45th while Mzuzu City Hammers’ consolation was from Ester Mhango in the 88th.
On Saturday Fazila’s goals were in the 1st minute, 49th and 57 while Asimenye’s were in the 3rd and 21st as Catherine Kachala claimed a brace in 45+1 and the 78th.
— for the Fazila and Asimenye to lead in the race for the Golden Boot ahead of the inaugural top tier women’s football league.
One interesting aspect of Malawi Scorchers striker, Asimenye, is that she is multi-talented as she is also blessed with boxing, netball as well as athletics and along with Fazila, they have set the tone for stiff competition in the race for the inaugural National Bank Women’s premiership.
Meanwhile, FAM and sponsors National Bank of Malawi Plc have introduced an innovation for the tournament named ‘Ma Ladies Ashayine Challenge’ – a Facebook edition where girls with amazing football skills can post a video of a maximum 45 seconds on their Facebook timeline to win K100,000 “just by showing them off!” and to tag National Bank of Malawi plc
The talented girls are being encourage to use the hashtag #MaLadiesAshayineChallenge and the top 3 most liked videos each week will be shared on FAM Facebook page.
“We’ll set polls twice a week — and the video with the most votes wins K100,000!,” entices FAM, adding that their will be two winners every week and the Ma Ladies Ashayine Challenge will run for two weeks
“Let’s go ladies! — show us your flair, your footwork, your FIRE! entices FAM on its Facebook account; https://web.facebook.com/FaMalawi.
The National Bank Women’s Premiership has been introduced as a robust structured and competitive top tier national women’s league above the Regional Women’s Leagues — and and the MK280 million has been invested in the top tier premiership — whose 75% goes towards the teams of MK156.65 million (56%) as prize money and MK53.575 million (19%) as subventions.
The champions will receive MK10 million; runners-up MK5 million and the third-placed team to get MK3 million and each participating team will also receive MK13 million in subvention, two full sets of uniforms, and five footballs — with individual player and media awards included in the package.
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The champions will represent Malawi in the CAF Women’s Champions League while the bottom three teams will be relegated to the Regional Leagues, with the respective Regional Champions gaining promotion into the National Bank Women’s League.
“For many years, the dream of launching a structured and competitive national women’s league remained unfulfilled due to lack of consistent sponsorship,” said Football Association of Malawi (FAM) president Fleetwood Haiya at the launch on July 9. “However, under our ‘Transforming the Game’ strategy, we placed this initiative in the forefront of our development priorities.
“With the support of National Bank of Malawi, that vision becomes a reality — this Women’s League will serve as the premier women’s football competition in the country; laying the foundation for increased professionalism, enhanced talent identification, and broader participation among women and girls across Malawi.”
