Teams from the Northern region of Malawi are facing a difficult start in the new National Bank of Malawi National Women’s Premiership.

After two rounds of matches, the region’s representatives—Moyale Barracks, MK Academy, and Topik Academy—are all in the relegation zone, having conceded a high number of goals and earned only one point between them.

The top seven spots in the league are currently dominated by teams from the Southern and Central regions.

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MK Academy has the only point for the North, earned from a 0-0 draw against Civil Service United Women at Mzuzu Stadium. However, they suffered a 3-0 loss to FCB Nyasa Big Bullets Women in their second match in Blantyre.

Moyale Sisters began their campaign with a 0-2 home defeat to Mighty Wanderers Women and followed that with a 4-0 loss to Silver Women.

Topik Academy, playing both of their opening matches away from home, was thrashed 6-0 by Ascent Soccer Academy before putting in a more resilient performance in a 3-0 loss to Kukoma Ntopwa Queens in Week 2.

Coaches and Commentators Weigh In

The poor performance is a major concern for the region, especially with three teams facing relegation at the end of the season.

Topik Academy head coach, Levi Mhone, acknowledged the team’s struggles, stating, “Honestly, we never thought of taking part in this tournament, and our preparations were based on the regional league level. We will adapt as we are learning. Against Ntopwa, we put in an improved performance, and we believe when we go home, we will do better.”

Similarly, MK Academy head coach, Davie Sibale, noted the significant gap between the regional and national leagues. “We were playing in the regional league, so it’s different from this one, but we have good stars who are capable of doing well, so we are still learning,” he said.

Moyale Sisters assistant coach, David Kachingwe, also emphasized the learning curve. “Indeed we have lost in two games, home and away, but we are learning, particularly in this game. We have learned a lot because we faced a more organized side while our team is new, which needs time,” he explained.

Sports commentator, Justin Mitambo, believes the new National Premiership is a true reflection of the differing standards of the regional leagues. He suggested that the new league will push regional authorities to raise their standards.

“It’s a clear picture that we had tournaments that could not fully develop our football,” Mitambo said. “These are the teams that provide players to our Scorchers, which means the team also had a cancer somewhere. But now, the competition in the National League will help coaches to have players that can stand on the international stage.”

The disparity in performance is evident in the statistics. Of the 24 goals scored in the first two weeks of the league, 18 have been against the three Northern region teams.

As things stand, Ascent Academy, Silver Women, and Kukoma Ntopwa Queens lead the table with six points each. FCB Nyasa Big Bullets Women and Mighty Wanderers Women follow with three points. Civil Service Women have two points, while MDF Lioness and MK Academy each have one. Moyale Barracks and Topik Academy are at the bottom of the table with zero points.

In a positive development, Scorchers’ head coach, Lovemore Fazili, has been present at all games played in Blantyre, scouting for potential players to join the national team.