The Football Association of Malawi (FAM) this morning sets the stage for another chapter of the Castel Challenge Cup, as it conducts the round of 32 draw at Mpira Village in Chiwembe, Blantyre.
The tournament has now reached the national phase, where 16 teams that emerged from regional playoffs join 16 Super League sides in a high-stakes pot. It is a moment where the dreams of Malawi’s football underdogs meet the ambitions of the country’s giants — a stage where passion, belief and possibility collide.
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FAM Competitions and Communications Director Gomezgani Zakazaka gave an overview of how this year’s cast of 32 was assembled.
“The tournament started at district level, and champions of the 16 registered teams qualified for the regional phase, where they were joined by National Division League teams from their respective regions. From there, the best 16 progressed to join the Super League teams at this stage.
“Out of the 16, seven are from the National Division League, three are district champions from Nsanje, Chitipa and Nkhata Bay, while the remaining six teams are from the regional leagues,” he explained.
Zakazaka predicted an intensely competitive national phase, noting that regional and district teams have already shown their strength by eliminating five National Division League sides on their way to the last 32.
How the Draw Will Work?
Zakazaka said the round of 32 draw will begin with the seeding of the top eight Super League teams based on the log table as of Monday, 8 December 2025. These are: FCB Nyasa Big Bullets, Mighty Wanderers, Silver Strikers, Civil Service United, Karonga United, Ekhaya FC, Blue Eagles and Kamuzu Barracks.
Being seeded means they cannot face each other at this stage.
“They will be placed in one pot and drawn against the remaining 24 teams in the other pot, which include the eight other Super League teams and the 16 teams from the regional playoffs. During the seeded draw, another draw will be conducted to determine which sides play at home. For the rest, the home team will be the one drawn first,” Zakazaka said.
For the round of 16, winners will face off according to their match numbers: the winner of Match 1 will play the winner of Match 16, and the pattern continues until Match 8 versus Match 9. In this stage, winners of Matches 9 to 16 will play at home.
Quarterfinal and semifinal draws will be conducted after the completion of the round of 16, with dates to be announced.
Participating Teams (32)
Super League (17)
FCB Nyasa Big Bullets, Mighty Wanderers, Silver Strikers, Civil Service United, Karonga United, Ekhaya FC, Blue Eagles, Kamuzu Barracks, Chitipa United, Creck Sporting Club, Moyale FC, MAFCO FC, Goshen City, Dedza Dynamos, Mzuzu City Hammers, Mighty Tigers, Songwe Border United
Regional Playoffs (16)
South: Bangwe All Stars, Bereu Giants, Ndirande Stars, Nsanje United
Central: Airborne Rangers, Extreme FC, Namitete Zitha, Shire Wimbe
Eastern: Prison United, Red Lions, Ntaja Rangers, Ntaja United
Northern: Chilumba Barracks, Chintheche United, Homesweepers, Lufita United
Mighty Wanderers enter the national phase as defending champions, having edged Mzuzu City Hammers 1–0 in last season’s final courtesy of a decisive strike from Thierry Tanjong Sama.
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