The inaugural NBS Bank National Division League (NDL) will kickoff on May 24, 2025 at Mchinji Community Centre Ground with an opening match between Villa United and Mitundu Baptist.
Football Association of Malawi (FAM) President Fleetwood Haiya said this during a media briefing the Association conducted in conjunction with the league’s sponsor NBS Bank at Mpira Village in Blantyre on preparations for the league’s kickoff.
Haiya added that the Association’s recent executive committee meeting agreed to double starter-packs for each participating team from K7.5 million to K15 million.
“We would like to see our clubs having adequate financial support to help them fulfill their fixtures,” he said.
The FAM President added that at least 15 football grounds such as Rumphi Stadium, Balaka Stadium, Mulanje Stadium and Mchinji Community Centre Ground have been certified for the NDL.
“The teams will also be playing in stadia that host Super League games, whenever such pitches are available because we would also like to see NDL teams getting used to high standard venues as they fight for elite league promotion,” he said.
Haiya explained that they have charged the NDL teams to ensure that at least 30 percent of their squads have players aged 20 and below.
“The aim of the NDL is not only to enhance the quality of our football but also ensuring that we nurture up-and-coming talents,” he said.
NBS Bank chief operations officer Shadrick Chikusilo, whose institution injected K982 million into the league for three seasons, said they believe they made the right choice to partner FAM in its football transformation agenda.
“This league will take our brand everywhere and boost the quality of football in the country,” he said.
The NDL, which will involve 12 teams, replaced the regional football leagues such as ThumbsUp Southern Region League Premier Division and Chipiku Stores Central Region Premier League Premier Division as Malawi’s second-tier league.
With FAM’s football transformation agenda, the introduction of the NDL is believed to be the best tool for helping Malawi to attain dominance in Africa with a strong link of football pyramid, whereby the Super League is subordinated by a competitive league.
According to FAM competitions and communications Director Gomezgani Zakazaka, NDL’s top-three teams will qualify for the 2026 TNM Super League while the bottom-four teams will be relegated to the regional leagues.
“As you know, we now have four football regions following the establishment of Eastern Region. Therefore, the relegation of four four NDL teams will create space for champions of the South, Centre, North and East ,” he said.
In the inaugural edition, Bangwe All Stars, Fomo and Baka City, which were relegated from the Super League last season, will be joined in the NDL by teams that finished from second to fourth in the South, Centre and North regional leagues.
The South contributed Red Lions, Ntaja United and Ndirande Stars while the Centre ushered in Mitundu Baptist, Villa United and Namitete Zitha. The North will be represented by Chilumba Barracks, Chintheche United and Jenda United.
