Interesting Week 5 of NBS Bank National Division League 2025 as all three leaders are in action on one Saturday

* Mitundu Baptist’s Rahim Mtondera is leading in the race for the Golden Boot having scored 6 goals in four matches played

* He is three ahead of other contenders at 3 goals apiece — Matorino Clement (Chilumba Barracks); Rashid Chiromo (FOMO FC) and Abel Gerald (Red Lions)

* Two goal assists have been recorded from Chintheche United’s George Mboma from three games and Red Lions’ Mavuto Henry Kamunga from four games

By Duncan Mlanjira

All three leaders of the NBS Bank National Division League (NDL) 2025 — at 9 points apiece; Mitundu Baptist, Red Lions and Namitete Zitha — are in action on Saturday for the Week 5 set to separate dominant pacesetters.

Separated by goal difference, Mitundi Baptist are at the top having scored nine goals in four matches and conceding two, with Red Lions second from their 5 goals scored against two — while Namitete have five and conceded three.

Namitete Zitha, who won against Jenda United 2-1 last Sunday, are at home at Mchinji Community Centre up against 4th-placed Baka City with 8 points, who also are galvanised having beaten Mitundi Baptist 1-0.

Two other teams going into Week 4 with wins over last weekend are Red Lions — who beat Bangwe All Stars 1-0 at Mpira Stadium — and will host FOMO FC (7th) at Balaka Stadium, who also won 1-0 against Ntaja United (5th) last Sunday.

Smarting from the 0-1 loss away to Baka, Mitundu Baptist will also have to be wary of their opponents on Saturday, 10th-placed Chilumba Barracks, who travel to Lilongwe having drawn 2-2 with 11th-placed Mchinji Villa last Friday in a goals galore match before the Chintheche United 3-2 Ndirande Stars result last Saturday at Rumphi Stadium.

Another interesting fixture on Saturday is between Ndirande Stars, who host 8th-placed Bangwe All Stars at Mpira Stadium — both eyeing a win to take themselves away from their 9th and 8th positions respectively.

Sunday also has very intriguing encounters when 11th-placed Mchinji Villa, who drew 2-2 with Chilumba Barracks, who host Chintheche United while Ntaja United (on 5th position with 7 points) have to be wary of Jenda United, who anchor the bottom of the table without a point from four losses.

Meanwhile, Mitundu Baptist’s Rahim Mtondera is leading in the race for the Golden Boot having scored 6 goals in four matches played and is three ahead of other contenders at 3 goals apiece — Matorino Clement (Chilumba Barracks); Rashid Chiromo (FOMO FC) and Abel Gerald (Red Lions).

Two goal assists have been recorded from Chintheche United’s George Mboma from three games and Red Lions’ Mavuto Henry Kamunga from four games while Mitundu Baptist lead in top goals scored by clubs at 9 followed by Chintheche United (6); and 5 apiece by Ntaja United, Namitete Zitha, Red Lions and FOMO FC.

The teams also need to reign in on discipline on the pitch as from four matches, seven clubs have accumulated too many cautions with Jenda United leading with more yellow cards by clubs at 9 followed by 8 apiece by Mitundu Baptist, Chintheche United & Ndirande Stars; Namitete Zitha (7) and 6 each by Mchinji Villa and Red Lions.

Another interesting aspect of the inaugural NBS Bank NDL is the patronage by fans for the matches which is a strong indication that the tournament — which is the country’s second tier football table to earn promotion into the elite TNM Super League — has been warmly embraced by the fans at their respective home club venues.

In the old system, clubs earned their promotion as champions from each of the Premier Division of the regional football leagues of ThumbsUp Southern, Chipiku Stores Central and the Northern League while three others were relegated from the Super League to the second tier table.

In these regional teams, the matches weren’t attracting gate charges, yet still in several venues the patronage was poor with people learning of their results through mainstream and social media platforms managed by the leagues and the clubs themselves.

All this has changed — the NBS Bank NDL matches attract a gate fee of which 75% of the revenue goes to the home team with the remaining 25% to venue owners as a financial boost to the clubs, thus the funds are contributing towards their clubs’ financial resources.

The 12-team new system has been introduced as Malawi’s second-tier league from which top three teams will qualify for the TNM Super League 2026 while the bottom-four teams will be relegated to the regional leagues, to create space for champions of the South, Centre, North and the newly-establishment Eastern Region.

And it seems the participation in the inaugural edition of Bangwe All Stars, FOMO FC and Baka City — who were relegated from the TNM Super League last season — might be working wonders in fans’ patronage since all three teams impressed in the 2024 elite season despite being relegated.

All they are fighting for is to return to the elite league and all three being in contention for the championship after Week 4 — Mitundu Baptist (1st), Red Lions (2nd) and Namitete Zitha (3rd) — separated by goal difference as they tie on 9 points while Baka City are closely behind in 4th with just one point.

The home team fans are cheering on with the same verve the TNM Super League teams receive in their assignments, which are taking place in same venues the NBS Bank NDL matches are being played — that include Rumphi Stadium, Mulanje Park, Balaka Stadium, Mchinji Community Centre and whenever there is an opportunity, be it stadia for Super League games.