Silver Ladies teammates Ireen Khumalo and Deborah Henry
* Three each from champions Silver Strikers Ladies, runners-up Ascent Soccer and 6th-placed Kukoma Ntopwa Women
* And one each from 5th-placed Civil Service Women and 7th-placed Mighty Wanderers Queens
By Duncan Mlanjira
Though Kukoma Ntopwa Women came 6th in the National Bank of Malawi (NBM) Women’s Premiership 2025, three of their players; Takondwa Gambuleni, Rose Alfandika and Sarah Mlimbika, have made it in the season’s Women’s Best XI — along with three each from champions Silver Strikers Ladies and runners-up Ascent Soccer.
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Silver Ladies have contributed the league’s Golden Boot winner, Deborah Henry; Ireen Sibande and Ireen Khumalo while from the runners-up are Mayamiko Mkandawire, Leticia Chinyamula and Maureen Kenneth.
The two others in the Best XI are one each from 5th-placed Civil Service Women (Emily Samuel) and 7th-placed Mighty Wanderers Queens (Fanny Moyo) with none from 3rd-placed MDF Lionesses and 4th-placed Nyasa Big Bullets.
An indication that the NBM Women’s Premiership 2025 was fiercely fought for, four of the Best XI players are not in recent Malawi Scorchers final squad selections; Takondwa Gambuleni, Ireen Sibande and Emily Samuel.
Five of the Women’s Best XI have been decorated by the Football Association of Malawi (FAM) Annual Awards with Deborah Henry named as overall Women’s Player of the Year having won the NBM Women’s Premiership Golden Boot that propelled her to clinch the season’s Player of the Tournament.
Deborah
Silver Ladies’ international Ireen Khumalo has been named NBM Women’s Premiership’s Defender of the Season while her teammate Ireen Sibande went away with Goalkeeper of the Tournament award.
Ascent Soccer’s international, Leticia Chinyamula was named Midfielder of the Season while Kukoma Ntopwa’s Sarah Mlimbika is Women’s Young Player of the Year.
Ireen Sibande and Leticia Chinyamula
Though a coach for the the season’s Best XI was not indicated, the honour can be bestowed by Andrew Chikhosi by virtue of being named Women’s Coach of the Year for guiding Silver Strikers Ladies to clinch the inaugural NBM Women’s Premiership at a 98% winning streak.
Andrew Chikhosi
On top of the domestic league achievements, Deborah Henry made a huge mark on the international scene when she scored her first-ever international goal scored in the 9th minute of her second appearance for the Scorchers.
She went further to set a record in the international registry by claiming her first international hat-trick in the 45+1 minute when the Scorchers annihilated Lesotho 8-1 at the COSAFA Women’s Championship 2026.
Though the Scorchers were eliminated in the tournament’s group stages in Polokwane, South Africa — after losing 0-2 to the hosts before beating Lesotho and Angola 1-0 — Deborah and Ireen Khumalo were named in the final COSAFA Best XI having also being selected in the Group Stage Best XI.
Both were also named Player of the Match — Deborah through the hat-trick and overall excellent performance against Lesotho and Ireen through her best play and a stunning goal from a free kick taken from a far that saw the Scorchers beating Angola 1-0.
