Historic Moment as NBM and FAM Launch Malawi’s First Ever National Women’s Premiership

The National Bank of Malawi in partnership with the Football Association of Malawi has launched the country’s first ever National Women’s Premiership in a colourful event held at Mpira Stadium on Saturday afternoon, July 26.

The occasion began with a trophy parade from Limbe to Chiwembe, Mpira Stadium, followed by a highly anticipated opening match between Blantyre giants Kukoma Ntopwa Queens and FCB Nyasa Big Bullets Women, signalling the start of a new era in Malawian football.

Speaking during the launch, Chief Financial Officer of the National Bank of Malawi, Daniel Jere, said the initiative is aimed at recognising the role women play in football and promoting gender equality in the sport.

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“There are many activities lined up. This initiative is about recognising the value of women and increasing their participation in football. Women’s football carries great value and has the potential to transform the lives of many in our communities,” Jere said.

He further explained that their sponsorship is the biggest in the history of women’s football in Malawi and is expected to uncover hidden talent while creating opportunities for international exposure.

Football Association of Malawi President Fleetwood Haiya described the launch as a dream come true. He said establishing a national women’s league was one of the key goals in his strategic plan and thanked the National Bank of Malawi for its support.

“Just like the Flames, whose players came through the Super League, this women’s competition will raise the standard and competitiveness of the game. It will help the Scorchers technical panel to identify new talent and strengthen the national team,” Haiya said.

The league kicked off with a tightly contested opener between FCB Nyasa Big Bullets Women and Kukoma Ntopwa Queens. The visitors came out victorious with a narrow one-nil win.

Substitute Esther Chauluka etched her name in the history books by scoring the first ever goal in the league. She netted in the 42nd minute, just three minutes after coming on.

After the match, Kukoma Ntopwa Queens head coach Isaac Jomo Osman expressed delight at the win and praised the organisers for launching the league.

“It was not easy. Bullets is a strong side with a good coach and good players, but we applied our tactics well to get the win. Football is not about passing, it is about scoring goals,” Osman said.

On the other side, FCB Nyasa Big Bullets Women head coach Maggie Chombo Sadick admitted her team made a costly error that Ntopwa capitalised on.

“Playing against Ntopwa is always tough. We lost concentration in defence and they scored. We have identified our weaknesses and we will correct them before the next matches,” Chombo Sadick said.

The win puts Kukoma Ntopwa Queens at the top of the NBM National Women’s Premiership table with three points from one match. FCB Nyasa Big Bullets Women sit at the bottom of the ten-team table with no points, ahead of Sunday’s fixtures.