Malawi’s FDH Premiership kick-off: Eyes on Wanderers, Bullets, Strikers

Some 18 years after being known as the Super League, Malawi’s top-flight league ascends into a new era on Saturday, 25th April 2026. All eyes will be on proven champions Mighty Wanderers, FCB Nyasa Big Bullets and Silver Strikers.

The 16-member league kicks off under FDH Bank Premiership brand after the leading commercial bank took over sponsorship from Telecom Networks Malawi (TNM).

Since 2008, the league has been synonymous with the mobile network service provider. However, a breakdown in sponsorship contract renewal talks months ago, prompted the Super League of Malawi (SULOM) to turn to FDH Bank for the financial support.

FDH Bank has pumped in a record USD 2.8 million (5 billion/ Malawi kwacha/MK) sponsorship for the next five years. USD=MK1,700).

Opening fixtures of 2026 season

SULOM released the 240 fixtures for the entire season running up to February 2027. The league’s head of fixtures, Williams Banda, assured that they had aligned the calendar with international events, cup assignments and factored in issues of match venues versus weather challenges to ensure limited interruptions.

Eyes on champions Wanderers

Holders Wanderers will set the ball rolling on April 25 with a home game against Karonga United at Kamuzu Stadium in Blantyre.

The defending champions, buoyed by the NBS Bank Charity Cup triumph after edging rivals Big Bullets 1-0 the previous weekend, remain the team to beat.

To their credit, the Nomads have strengthened the defence and goalkeeping departments fully aware that a solid defence wins you a league title.

The frontline remains solid with experienced Muhamad Sulumba available to supply two digits of goals ably complemented by Promise Kamwendo, Clement Nyondo and Cameroonian Thierry Tanjong.

Sending coach Bob Mpinganjira to the UK for coaching attachments was yet another sign of a club that has done its proper homework.

However, there is no doubt that the absence of playmaker Wisdom Mpinganjira, now on loan at Mozambique’s Black Bulls FC, will be felt by the eight-time winners.

Can Bullets end two-year title drought?

The Nomads rivals, Bullets will be on the road to kickstart the season with Civil Service United in Lilongwe also on Saturday.

The People’s Team is considered Malawi’s domestic football benchmark as they are the most successful with 18 league titles, while the second most winners Silver Strikers have nine.

Bullets also have the largest fan base estimated at over two million and dominate in most respects. Therefore, winning is the vocabulary of the Blantyre giants.

However, the reality is that they last won the league title in the 2023 season and they remain without a substantive head coach after Peter Mponda’s acrimonious departure late last season.

Interim manager Gilbert Chirwa will steer the red and white ship. In the past three seasons, Bullets have lost influential players such as Lanjesi Nkhoma, Patrick Mwaungulu, Llyod Aaron and recently, Chikumbutso Salima and Babatunde Adepoju to foreign clubs.

Salima, now with Al Merrikh in Sudan, was the team’s and the league’s top assist producer with 13 in 28 games in the 2025 season. With Adepoju, now back to parent club Venda FC in South Africa, the pair finished last season as the joint top scorers with 15 goals.

The duo’s absence is so huge the likes of Peter Banda and Mike Mkwate, victims of injuries and inconsistent form, need to step up and complement strikers Maxwell Gastin and Ephraim Kondowe.

Hassan Kajoke can be handy in front of the goal on his day, but then, despite his abilities as the fox in the box, he has never really looked focused on the scoring business.

Captain Blessings Mpokera remains the main man at the back and the signing of Emmanuel Kaunga sort out a few things up for Bullets. However, doubts linger on the centre defence.

It also remains to be seen if the coming in of Pilirani Mapira will step up competition for a first-choice goalkeeper. No team wins a league championship while chopping and changing goalkeepers and defenders. The red army knows this better.

Nine-time champions Silver Strikers

Elsewhere, one-time winner Kamuzu Barracks FC will host nine-time champions Strikers at Champion Stadium in Dowa on the outskirts of the capital Lilongwe on Saturday.

Ahead of the new season, Strikers’ coach Peter Mgangira has appointed midfielder Uchizi Vunga, who registered 10 assists last season as the new captain. He has replaced Chikondi Kamanga who left for greener pastures in Mozambique during the off-season.

Overall, the coach named a 30-member squad that includes new arrivals Lameck Gamphani, Eric Atsigah, Christopher Mikuwa, Yankho Billiat, Lumbani Nyondo, Mally Kasongo, Christopher Gototo.

The new recruits will fill the void created by the recent exit of players such as defender Maxwell Paipi, Innocent Shema, goalkeeper Pilirani Mapira, winger Duncan Nyoni, strikers Binwell Katinji and Stein Davie.

Experienced Astigah can step in the big shoes of Paipi to partner Macdonald Lameck. However, serious questions linger on the frontline which looks lightweight on paper. Will the absence of Katinji and Davie not eventually haunt the Bankers? Over to you Andrew Joseph!

Where to watch FDH Premiership matches

Local channels for Mibawa TV and MBC TV broadcast matches. However, for the international audience, FIFA + TV might prove to be handy. Games usually kick off at 2:30pm Southern African time.