All is set for the launch of the Unayo Southern Region Football Association Division One League at Mangochi Stadium on Saturday.
Mpondas United will host Balaka United in the League opener to officially welcome back Standard Bank to Malawi Football.
Earlier this month Standard Bank announced a K46 million sponsorship for Division One Leagues in the country’s three regions.
The Central Region will launch its league next week while the North will kickoff the other week.
Southern Region Football Association Chairman Raphael Humba said teams are geared up for the League.
“After two years absence the Division one is returning to Southern Region, and we are looking forward to exciting matches. We would like to thank Standard Bank for the Sponsorship ,” said Humba.
On the sponsorship Standard Bank Head of Consumer and High Net Worth Clients Charity Mughogho said: “Unayo has deliberately chosen to invest in the grassroots of football, as this will have far reaching and long-term benefit to the overall quality of players, officials and administrators that graduate into the higher leagues and national team.
“Standard Bank strongly believes that a better tomorrow, starts today with the small incremental steps that we take and investment goals which guide our decisions. This sponsorship is set to raise the profile of the league and Unayo will also fund media awards which will run at the end of the football season.”
About 29 teams will take part in the SRFA League and have been divided into two groups of 14 and 15 teams.
Top Four teams from each group will qualify for the Knockout phase and top three teams will be promoted to the Premier Division.
The Champions in Each Region will get K2 million while the Runners up, Third place and fourth placed teams will get K1,5 million, K1 million and K750,000 respectively.