Kamuzu Stadium declared unfit for Malawi league matches

Kamuzu Stadium, the spiritual home of Malawi football, has been declared unfit to host high-profile matches for the 2026-2027 FDH Bank Premiership season.

The Blantyre-based facility is a venue of choice for clubs such as Mighty Wanderers and FCB Nyasa Big Bullets. Its condemnation will affect the clubs’ gate revenue in the new season kicking off April 25, 2026.

The Blantyre-based venue used to host FIFA World Cup and Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers until around 2016 when it was condemned due to its dilapidated state. Most of its terraces were cordoned off and its capacity reduced from 45,000 to 18,000.

Why Kamuzu Stadium is deemed unfit

Now, the Football Association of Malawi (FAM) Club Licensing First Instance Body has decided that the stadium is also unfit for domestic league and cup games for the forthcoming season.

FAM Competitions and Licensing Manager Clement Kafwafwa said they ruled out the stadium from the list of certified match venues after its owner failed to address shortcomings observed during an inspection.

“Following our first inspection, we informed stadium owners of the required standards and necessary improvements for approval. While some addressed the issues, others did not, leading to these results,” he said as quoted by Malawi FA website.

Other venues that have failed the test are Nankhaka Stadium and Mzuzu Stadium.

Which venues passed test in Malawi?

After inspecting 21 venues, the association approved 14 stadiums to host elite competitions for the 2026-2027 season.

The certified facilities are Chitipa Stadium, Karonga Stadium, Rumphi Stadium, Chitowe Stadium, Champion Stadium, Aubrey Dimba Stadium, Silver Stadium, Civo Stadium, Bingu National Stadium, Dedza Stadium, Mulanje Stadium, Joyce Chitsulo Stadium, Zomba Stadium and Mpira Stadium.

Meanwhile, Owen Malijani Stadium, Kasungu Stadium, Balaka Stadium and Mchinji Mini Stadium are only eligible to host second tier matches.