LUANAR FC get into FDH Bank Premiership through back door by merging with Mitundu Baptist

Mitundu qualified for the elite league as NBS Bank National Division League runners-up

* LUANAR FC will serve as a reserve side for Luanar Mitundu FC and the merged will also establish a women’s side

* The club’s executive committee will comprise representatives from both institutions to ensure balanced governance and effective decision-making

* This follows a precedent made by Masters Security Ltd, owned by Cabinet Minister Alfred Gangata, which bought Baka City FC’s ‘ownership’ rights

* To accommodate the team Masters Security FC, the company sponsored but was disbanded in 2019 when the club got demoted from the just recently dissolved TNM Super League

By Duncan Mlanjira

LUANAR FC, sponsored by the Lilongwe University of Agriculture & Lilongwe University of Agriculture & Natural Resources (LUANAR) has partnered with Mitundu Baptist FC as a merger — systematically getting themselves to participate in the elite FDH Bank Premiership through the back door.

This follows a precedent made by Masters Security Ltd, owned by Cabinet Minister Alfred Gangata, which bought Baka City FC’s ‘ownership’ rights to accommodate the team Masters Security FC, the company sponsored but was disbanded in 2019 when the club got demoted from the just recently dissolved TNM Super League.

According to a statement issued by LUANAR FC general secretary on it’s official Facebook/profile, the team will now be known as Luanar Mitundu FC, emphasising that the partnership confirms the clubs participation in the FDH Bank Premiership under the new name.

The statement further indicates that “a comprehensive business plan has been developed to guide the club’s operations, outlining key revenue streams and cost structures”.

“These financial obligations will be jointly supported by both partners. The club’s executive committee will comprise representatives from both institutions to ensure balanced governance and effective decision-making.”

The club further indicates that in terms of player development, some players from LUANAR FC may be promoted into the FDH Bank Premiership squad with the LUANAR FC serving as a reserve side for Luanar Mitundu FC.

The LUANAR FC will then become the Premiership’s reserve side, to compete in  separate league in line with the Football Association of Malawi (FAM) system.

“In compliance with league requirements, the club will also establish a women’s football team, further expanding opportunities and promoting inclusivity in the sport.

“To support resource mobilisation, a variety of branded merchandise will be made available, including replica jerseys, scarves, caps, pens, and more,” says the newly-merged club, adding that its home venue will be Dedza Stadium.

“Let us unite and support this new chapter as we build a strong, competitive, and sustainable football institution,” says the club while encouraging its supporters to contribute to the growth of the club by purchasing the branded merchandise.

Mitundu Baptist earned promotion into the elite league by finishing as runners-up of the country’s inaugural 2nd tier football system, the NBS Bank National Division League (NDL), along with champions were Red Lions and 3rd-placed Baka City.

As soon as Karonga-based Baka City got promoted at the auspices of being the Northern Region Football League representatives, Masters Security FC announced their return into the top flight league for the FDH Bank Premiership 2026 season after buying Baka City’s ‘ownership’ rights.

The back-door qualification, which shouldn’t have been tolerated, came after Masters Security company’s owner, Gangata, being transferred as Natural Resources  Minister to the portfolio of Youth, Sports & Culture.

Gangata disbanded the team soon after been demoted from the Super League in 2019 and if he had wanted to revive it, he should have followed all procedures by participating in the lower leagues up until earning qualification up the ladder.

After buying Baka City FC, then that name was supposed to the official register for the FDH Bank Premiership with Masters Security company coming in as sponsors just like FCB Nyasa Big Bullets or Goshen City Dedza Dynamos indicates.

In 2017, a precedent was also set when Civo-United-sneaked-back-into-TNM-Super-League-through-Epac/ owner, Dean Josaya, decided to withdraw the team to allow Civo United to remain in the Super League after being relegated from the 2016 season.

It was first reported that Josaya and Civo United officials first discussed a possible merge in order to allow the Malawi government-sponsored side to remain in the top flight league it had been participating for 30 years then dating back to 1986. 

Josaya then confirmed that his side would not be playing in the Super League but in Central Region Football League in which they were champions and earned promotion from.

He had indicated that they two clubs “agreed to allow Civo play in the top flight instead of Epac FC [for the 2017 season] because Civo is a big team as to compared with Epac — so it wasn’t right to see the team play in the [lower] Premier Division”. 

In order to comply with FAM Club Licensing procedures, Civo United had to change its name to Civil Service United — but ordinarily, this arrangement shouldn’t have been tolerated as it has set a defective precedence that was utilised by Gangata on behalf of the disbanded Masters Security FC; which LUANAR has also taken advantage of.