Mponela FC have been crowned the inaugural National Bank Championship U23 champions after defeating Karonga United Reserves 3–2 on post-match penalties following a goalless draw in regulation time.
It was an end-to-end encounter at Champion Stadium in Mponela on Sunday, 22 March, with both sides creating chances but failing to break the deadlock after 90 minutes.
In the penalty shootout, Karonga United Reserves missed three spot kicks, handing the Central Region side victory and the championship title.
In the third-place playoff, Kababa Academy defeated QPL Stars 4–3 on penalties to finish third in the competition.
The National Bank Championship National Finals brought together regional champions from across the country, with Karonga United Reserves representing the Northern Region, Mponela FC the Central Region, Kababa Academy the Eastern Region, and QPL Stars the Southern Region.
The competition began at district level, involving all 32 football districts, with teams progressing through regional qualifiers to determine representatives for the national finals. In total, over 2,000 matches were played across the competition.
For their triumph, Mponela FC walked away with K10 million, while runners-up Karonga United Reserves received K4 million, and third-placed Kababa Academy earned K2 million.
Karonga United Reserves goalkeeper Richard Nyirenda was named Goalkeeper of the Tournament after keeping clean sheets in two matches. Archangel Mayola finished as the Top Goal Scorer with two goals, while Howard Kamuona was voted Player of the Tournament following an outstanding campaign.
