Central Region Teams win in week 5 of NBS Bank Championship

The Central Region Women’s Football Teams are continuing their good start to the 2025 NBS Bank National Championship as they all win in week five of the season.

MDF Lioness on Saturday hammered Kukoma Ntopwa Women’s Team at Champion Stadium while Silver Strikers taught Mighty Wanderers a lesson on Sunday. Ascent hammer Bullets Women’s Team while Civil Service United Women’s Team were 4-0 winners over Topik Sisters.

Silver Strikers Edge Wanderers to Stay Top

Central region giants Silver Strikers Ladies maintained their perfect record in the National Bank of Malawi National Women’s Premiership, securing their fifth consecutive victory with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Mighty Wanderers Women at Mpira Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

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Deborah Henry scored the match’s only goal, though the Bankers were frustrated by several missed opportunities. Wanderers goalkeeper Esther Chauluka produced outstanding saves to keep her team in the contest and prevent a heavier defeat.

Silver Strikers head coach Andrew Chikhosi praised his team’s victory but expressed concern about their finishing. “Of course I’m very worried with how we missed chances today. We started very well and created many scoring opportunities, but we lacked the composure to finish. However, we are happy that we won the game,” Chikhosi said.

Wanderers coach Thom Kazembe accepted the defeat, acknowledging his team’s below-par performance. “We really struggled today and were second to every ball – that’s why we lost. I believe the two-week break we had also affected the team’s performance,” Kazembe explained.

The victory keeps Silver Strikers at the summit with a perfect record of 15 points from five matches, while Wanderers drop to fourth place with nine points from three wins and two defeats.

Ascent Academy Thrash Bullets Women

In Lilongwe, Ascent Academy continued their pursuit of league leaders Silver Strikers with an impressive 3-1 victory over FCB Nyasa Big Bullets Women at the Ascent Ground.

Mayamiko Mkandawire was the star performer, scoring twice to bring her league tally to five goals. Alepha Chimbeta added the third for the hosts, while Lyna James scored a consolation goal for Bullets in what proved to be a heated encounter between two top-tier teams.

Ascent coach Thom Nkolongo was delighted with his team’s performance and the crucial three points. “I’m happy with how the players are performing now – they have improved significantly. In our early games, we struggled to keep possession, but now we’re attacking well. I’m pleased with this win,” Nkolongo said.

Bullets assistant coach Charles Lubani conceded his team failed to perform to their usual standards. “We couldn’t play our normal game and gifted them goals, especially the third one which weakened us as we were fighting for an equalizer. The officiating also let us down – we have three players who were rushed to Kamuzu Central Hospital, but no action was taken against Ascent players,” Lubani complained.

The result keeps Ascent Academy in second place with 12 points from four wins and one defeat, while Bullets sit sixth with seven points from two wins, one draw, and two defeats.

Civil Service Secure Maiden Victory

In Mzuzu, Civil Service Women celebrated their first-ever win in the National League in emphatic fashion, demolishing Topik Academy 4-0 at Mzuzu Stadium.

Vitumbiko Mkandawire, Glory Sichinga, Jessie Yosefe, and Emily Samuel all found the net in the first half as Civil Service recorded their breakthrough victory after five attempts. The comprehensive win lifted them out of the relegation zone while inflicting Topik’s fifth consecutive defeat.

Civil Service coach Collins Pofera attributed the victory to persistent efforts to improve the team’s setup. “We started with draws, then suffered a loss, so we sat down with the players to identify areas for improvement. It’s clearly working – we were struggling to score goals before, but now we’re finding the net,” Pofera explained.

Topik assistant coach Kelvin Bwayala acknowledged that inexperience continues to hamper his young squad. “In the first half we were nervous – you know it’s a team of youngsters who lack experience. But in the second half, we improved and showed we can play football. We will get better as we continue learning,” Bwayala said.

Civil Service climbed from eighth to seventh place with six points from one win, three draws, and one defeat. Topik remains anchored at the bottom of the table with zero points from five defeats.

Week 5 of the league produced 16 goals, matching the tally from Week 4 and exceeding Weeks 2 and 3 by two goals each, indicating an upturn in attacking play across the division.