Malawi’s women’s league returns with an eye on the World Cup

After nine months of uncertainty that threatened to stall the momentum of women’s football in Malawi, the National Bank of Malawi (NBM) Women’s Premiership is finally set to return — and this time, with an eye firmly on the global stage.

The Football Association of Malawi (Fam) confirmed that the 2026/27 season will kick off on September 19, ending months of speculation over whether a second edition of the league would materialise at all.

“The stage is set for the 2026/27 NBM Women’s Premiership. Ten teams, one title,” Fam said in a statement, though the full fixture list — expected to be released alongside the announcement — has yet to be published, and the financial package underpinning this year’s competition remains under wraps.

Last year, NBM backed the inaugural edition to the tune of K280 million.

For National Women’s Football Association president Adelaide Migogo, the league’s return carries significance well beyond domestic bragging rights.

With the Scorchers preparing for the 2027 Fifa Women’s World Cup, she believes the competition will prove decisive in sharpening the national team’s readiness.

“We are excited. This really shows that NBM has confidence in women’s football and the girl child,” Migogo said. “The girls will be active in preparation for the World Cup.”

That sense of relief was echoed by Silver Strikers chief executive Patrick Chimimba, whose club’s women’s side enters the new season as defending champions after an imperious campaign.

“It is good development that the league is back after waiting for nine months,” he said. “We are looking forward to continue from where we left last season.”

Silver Ladies’ triumph in the inaugural edition was emphatic by any measure: 48 points from 18 matches, 18 wins and just two defeats, without a single draw all season.

The title brought with it K10 million and a trophy, while runners-up Ascent Soccer Academy and third-placed MDF Lionesses collected K5 million and K3 million respectively.

With the World Cup now looming on the horizon, this season’s Premiership promises to be more than simply a title race — it may prove a crucial staging post for a national team looking to make its mark on the international game.