* As Mchinji Villa face another elite league participants Extreme FC, whose winners date winners of Namitete Zitha v TN Stars in second round
* FOMO FC are away to Mwanza Stars as Bangwe United also travel to meet Nchima United for the Southern Region first preliminary round
* Baka City are away against Chirambo FC in the North as Red Lions will await for winners between Changalume Barracks v MMF Marine in Eastern Region
By Duncan Mlanjira
The FDH Bank Cup 2025 preliminary round is expected to produce some intriguing results as it involves some forgotten former TNM Super League participants, TN Stars & Extreme FC and the recently relegated FOMO FC & Bangwe All Stars.
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Of particular interest will be the pairing of the first round of the Central Region qualifiers between NBS Bank National Division League (NDL) sides, Namitete Zitha and Mchinji Villa as Namitete date TN Stars while Mchinji will face Extreme FC.
And it doesn’t stop there — winners Namitete and TN Stars will face winners of Namitete Zitha v TN Stars for the second round while Chilumba Barracks and Chintheche United are set to clash if the beat Simbowe FC and Chizumulu United in their first round matches.
This is according to the draw of the FDH Bank Cup draw on Tuesday at Mpira Village, which is as follows for the Southern Region:
Play-off
PS Sporting v QPL All Stars
First round
Liberty FC v Ndirande Stars; Mwanza Stars v FOMO FC; Nchima United v Bangwe All Stars; Thondwe FC v Chilomoni FC; Nsanje United v Chilobwe United; winner PS Sport/QPL All Stars v Zingwangwa United; Ntopwa FC v The Boys and Immigration FC v Nyambadwe United.
Second round
Mwanza Stars/FOMO FC v Ntopwa FC/The Boys; Immigration FC/Nyambadwe United v Thondwe FC/Chilomoni FC; PS Sport/QPL All Stars/Zingwangwa United v Nsanje United/Chilobwe United; Liberty FC/Ndirande Stars v Nchima United/Bangwe All Stars — a 4th match of the second round that sets a collision course between NBS Bank NDL sides, Ndirande Stars and Bangwe All Stars.
Central Region
First Round
TN Stars v Namitete Zitha; Extreme FC v Mchinji Villa; Airborne Rangers v Green Rangers; FC Shire v Mbadzi United; Santhe ADMARC v Chisomo Academy; Chatoloma ADMARC v Pyramids FC; Mchinji Boma Strikers v LUANAR FC
Second round
Mchinji Boma Strikers/LUANAR FC v NBS Bank NDL side Mitundu Baptist; TN Stars/Namitete Zitha v Extreme FC/Mchinji Villa; FC Shire/Mbadzi United v Airborne Rangers/Green Rangers; Chatoloma ADMARC/Pyramids FC v Santhe ADMARC/Chisomo Academy.
Northern Region
First round
Chirambo FC v Baka City; Chizumulu United v Chintheche United; Simbowe FC v Chilumba Barracks; Embangweni United v Jenda FC; Ekwendeni Hardknockers v Chisapa FC; Lube Masters v Ekwaiweni Tafika Academy; Raiply FC v Chibabvi Real Stars; Sporting FC v Ekwendeni United; Euthini Veterans v Chipolopolo FC; Chihame All Stars v Mmberwa Warriors
Second round
Chihame All Stars/Mmberwa Warriors v Lube Masters/Ekwaiweni Tafika Academy; Embangweni United/Jenda FC v Raiply FC/Chibabvi Real Stars; Sporting FC/Ekwendeni United; Ekwendeni Hardknockers/Chisapa FC v Chirambo FC/Baka City; Simbowe FC/Chilumba Barracks v Chizumulu United v Chintheche United.
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Eastern Region
First round
Namikango Mission v Becks Academy; Changalume Barracks v MMF Marine; Prison United v Ntaja FC; Mangochi All Stars v Zomba Airbase; Toleza Farm FC v Nselema United.
Second round
Red Lions v Changalume Barracks/MMF Marine; Mangochi All Stars/Zomba Airbase v Prison United/Ntaja FC; Namikango Mission/Becks Academy v Toleza Farm FC/Nselema United.
The knockout basis FDH Bank Cup 2025 — to be played for five months between July and November — will be participated in the preliminary round by 12 teams from NBS Bank National Division League and 51 from Regional Premier Division League (14 from the South, 12 from the Centre, 9 from Eastern Region and 16 from the North).
Players to watch for the preliminary round involving NBS Bank NDL will include current top scorer, Rahim Mtondera of Mitundu Baptist who leads the race for the Golden Boit with 7 goals — four ahead of Chilumba Barracks’ Matorino Clement; Madalitso Jeffrey (Ndirande Stars); Jimmy Kalanje (Chintheche United); Rashid Chiromo (FOMO FC and Abel Gerald (Red Lions).
The winners of the preliminary round will then join the 16 TNM Super League teams for the national phase, whose defending champions are Blue Eagles who attained the feat whilst in the Chipiku Stores Central Region Football League 2024 having been relegated from the elite league in 2023.
They are since back in the Super League, who currently sit on 4th place with 16 points from 10 games — 8 behind leaders Nyasa Big Bullets (24 points) with five games left to play in the first round.
