Former Mighty Wanderers defender, James Sangala, believes his old team has had a stable squad and a composed technical panel, thus leading the 2025 TNM Super League unbeaten as the league has gone to recess.
Sangala praised his former team.
“Their squad is almost the same that played last season and by now they have gelled, the composition of their technical staff. This season, they beefed up their technical panel with seasoned coaches who are also former players. The coming in of McDonald Mtetemera & Sherry Msuku as well as Peter Wadabwa as the strikers Coach has added stability to Bob Mpinganjira’s panel,” he said.
Mighty Mukuru Wanderers sit top of the table with 35 points from 15 matches, winning 10 and drawing 5.
Their Arch-rivals FCB Nyasa Big Bullets are just a point behind on 34 points from the same number of games, while last season’s champions, Silver Strikers, are in third with 30 points after 8 wins, 6 draws and only a single defeat.
For Wanderers, consistency has been key—five wins at home and five away, with 23 goals scored and only 7 conceded.
Five of these goals came from Wisdom Mpinganjira and four from their new signing, Promise Kamwendo.
Their standout display was a 3-0 away demolition of Kamuzu Barracks at Aubrey Dimba Stadium in Mchinji on 15 June while their most celebrated victory came in the Blantyre Derby, edging Bullets 1-0 on 31 May in what many called a potential title decider.
It is a marked improvement from this time last season when the Nomads were second with 28 points, 8 draws, and 3 defeats.
Coach Bob Mpinganjira has made his ambitions clear.
“We will keep on fighting for more because that is what happens when you are serious about earning something,” he said.
Just a step behind there is FCB Nyasa Big Bullets who remain in hot pursuit of their bitter rivals.
Remarkably, the ‘People’s Team’ have yet to record a draw this season, winning 11 and losing 3.
Their most emphatic victory came on 20 April, when they demolished newly promoted Songwe Border United 7-0 at Kamuzu Stadium.
However, they suffered setbacks, including a 2-1 loss to Civil Service United on 12 July at CIVO Stadium in Lilongwe, and narrow 1-0 defeats to Wanderers and Blue Eagles on 27 July.
(Above: Bullets’ defeat to Blue Eagles, courtesy of FCB Nyasa Big Bullets Media)
Bullets have been formidable at home, registering 6 wins, a single and just 1 defeat, scoring 33 goals and conceding only 5.
Away from home, they have managed 5 wins, 1 draw and 2 defeats, with 7 goals scored and 3 conceded.
Their attack has been spearheaded by top scorer Babatunde Adepoju who has 8 goals and Chikumbutso Salima who has netted 7 goals while Wongani Lungu has added 4.
In Defence, their keeper, Innocent Nyasulu, has managed 7 clean sheets.
This is a clear improvement from the same stage last season, when they were fourth with 23 points from 5 wins, 8 draws, and 2 defeats.
Coach Peter Mponda admits the journey has been mixed.
“The performance of the team has been up and down. We have lacked consistency. But still, we are at a good place,” Mponda said.
Former Bullets midfielder Chimango Kayira has also praised the new coach’s impact.
“Since his appointment, Bullets kicked off with a string of impressive results, winning their opening five games—their most commanding start in five years. The team has shown attacking potency, and defensive reinforcements have addressed the key departures of Gomezgani Chirwa and Nickson Nyasulu to Zimbabwe.
New signings Andrew Juvinila and Blessings Joseph slotted in effortlessly. Both factors have worked well for the new gaffer, hence their climb up the table this season,” Kayira said.
Silver Strikers, meanwhile, have endured a more subdued campaign than their championship-winning run last year.
Despite only losing once—1-0 to Bullets on the opening day, courtesy of Babatunde Adepoju’s 30th-minute strike at Bingu National Stadium—they have struggled to recapture the same hunger and edge that carried them to their first title in 11 years.
Their highest-scoring outing came in a 4-1 victory over Songwe Border United at Karonga Stadium, but too many draws have slowed their momentum—six in total, the most of any top-three side.
At this stage last season, they were unbeaten, leading the table with 37 points from 11 wins and 4 draws.
The departure of title-winning coach Peter Mponda to rivals Bullets has been cited as a possible factor in their dip.
Midfielder Chinsinsi Maonga leads their scoring chart with five goals, followed by youngster Festus Duwe with four and attacker Binwell Katinji with three.
Ten of their goals have come at home, thirteen away while they have conceded 4 at home and 7 away. They have won 4 games at home, 3 on the road, drawing twice at home and four times away. However, their midfield talisman, Chimwemwe Idana, left the club for Zambia’s ZANACO.
Nonetheless, Coach Peter Mgangira remains optimistic.
“We, as a team, have a mission—we need to win these points and see where we end up,” Mgangira said.
With the Top 3 being Wanderers, Bullets and Silver Strikers, the standings appear to confirm sports analyst Charles Nyirenda’s pre-season prediction of a three-horse race for the crown.
“Silver Strikers, Wanderers and Bullets remain the teams to beat,” Nyirenda noted.
Just outside the top three, league debutants Ekhaya FC have been the story of the season. Sitting 4th with 26 points—only one behind defending champions Silver Strikers—the rookies have earned the “dark horse” label, emerging as the campaign’s biggest surprise package.
Ekhaya’s record of 8 wins, 2 draws and 5 defeats is built on defensive solidity, having conceded just 7 goals all season while scoring 16.
They have scored more than twice in a game on two occasions: a 3-0 dismantling of Moyale Barracks at Kamuzu Stadium on 20 July, 2025 and a 3-1 victory over Mzuzu City Hammers at Rumphi Stadium on 22 June. Their heaviest blow came in a 3-1 loss to Silver Strikers on 26 July at Silver Stadium.
The team has relied heavily on Clever Chikwata in front of goal as he has managed to score 4 times and their goalie, Eliasi Missi, has managed 6 clean sheets.
Their ambition was clear even before the first whistle.
Earlier in the season, Ekhaya went on an aggressive signing spree, blending experience with youthful energy. Among their notable acquisitions was defender Alick Lungu from FCB Nyasa Big Bullets, signed on 2 June. This recruitment drive was spearheaded by newly appointed head coach Enos Chatama, who previously led the Bullets Reserves to multiple titles.
Chatama, in reaction to the first round of the league, said his side is moving in the right direction, despite squandering many chances.
“We have been missing penalties. We missed against Blue Eagles and against MAFCO. But we have played some good games in the first round, we have been defending very well, but we have not been scoring enough,” he said.
However, their dream start has not been without controversy.
(Video above shows the Missi v Babatunde scenario)
On 2 July, during a narrow 1-0 defeat to FCB Nyasa Big Bullets—settled by Babatunde Adepoju’s 56th-minute strike—their goalkeeper Missi was seen grabbing the Bullets striker by the neck while trying to punch away a corner, an incident that led the Super League of Malawi (SULOM) to issue a three-match suspension for Missi and fine Ekhaya K3 million for bringing the game into disrepute.
Hot on Ekhaya’s heels in 5th place are Karonga United.
In the 15 games they have played they have won 7, drew 3, lost 5, against 16 goals scored and 12 goals conceded to make them have 24 points.
This is an improvement from the team because last season at such a point, they ended number 11 with 19 points.
Their biggest game this first round of the 2025 TNM Super League was a 4-0 thrashing of Premier Bet Dedza Dynamos at Dedza Stadium on 18 May and their lowest performance was the 3-1 defeat to Silver Strikers on 25 June.
However, their most impressive performance, despite it not being a win, was a 3-3 draw against FCB Nyasa Big Bullets on 10 August as they managed to come back from a 3-1 deficit to level the scores.
Their offensive player has been Allen Chihana who has managed to score 4 goals.
Their goalkeeper, Maclean Mwale, has managed 8 clean sheets.
But they let go of Blessings Mwalilino to Mighty Wanderers, he was integral to the team’s top performance last season at this same time.
Nonetheless, their coach, Oscar Kaunda, wishes to re-enforce his charges to have a stronger side in the second round and believes recruiting some players from the National Division League can do the trick.
On sixth is Civil Service United. Despite starting poorly this season, they have managed to end on a high note.
They started with a defeat to Karonga United 1-0 at home in their first game and also to Ekhaya FC on 14 April at Kamuzu Stadium with a similar scoreline, sending them straight to the relegation zone.
But their coach, Abbas Makawa, fought tooth and nail to make the team manage an impressive record, especially at home.
In fact, their Assistant Coach, Wilson Chidati, is on record stressing that his side will be utilizing home-ground advantage.
They managed to rack up 4 victories, 2 draws, and a single defeat at home.
But away, they have managed 2 wins three defeats and draws.
Overall, they got 23 Points, 6 wins, 5 draws and 4 defeats. They also scored 19 and conceded 9, being the fourth lowest team to do so, behind Wanderers (7), Bullets (8) and tied with Silver (both 9).
But last season, at the same time, the team, was 9th and had only 20 points.
On 14 June they played a 0-0 stalemate against MAFCO.
They managed to frustrate ‘league giants’ because on 10 August they played a 0-0 draw against league leaders, Wanderers, stunned FCB Nyasa Big Bullets on 12 July with a 2-1 victory at CIVO Stadium in Lilongwe, but failed to shine in the Lilongwe Derby against, Silver Strikers, who defeated them 2-0.
Civo’s biggest victory was against Songwe Border United on 19 July at Civo Stadium where they destroyed them 5-0 and nearly replicated this result against Mzuzu City Hammers at the same venue on 03 August by managing a 4-0 victory.
Blue Eagles, though not really new to the league, has ranked 7th in the first-half of the competition.
The Malawi Police-sponsored outfit initially started badly as they lost 3-1 in their league opener against Mighty Wanderers and then went on to defeat Songwe Border United 4-0 on 12 April.
It might be described as a mild campaign for them at this point, winning 6 matches, drawing 5 and losing 4.
It is also noteworthy that they managed to upset FCB Nyasa Big Bullets 1-0 at Kamuzu Stadium on 27 July.
They have scored 18 goals, conceded 13 and currently have 23 points, tied to Civo but only separated by 5 goals.
They bounced back into the top flight after suffering relegation in the 2023 season, when they were edged out on head-to-head record by Moyale Barracks. Both teams finished level on 35 points with identical tallies of 8 wins, 11 draws, 11 defeats, 32 goals scored, and 32 conceded—a rare statistical deadlock that sealed Eagles’ drop.
This season, their biggest victory came in a commanding 6–1 triumph over Mzuzu City Hammers at Nankhaka Stadium, Area 30 in Lilongwe on 24 May.
Their heaviest defeat was a 3–0 setback against Kamuzu Barracks at Champion Stadium in Mponela, Dowa, on 2 August.
Towards the end of the first round, Blue Eagles lost back-to-back to Kamuzu Barracks on 02 August and Chitipa United on 10 August, all away matches.
However, their coach, Deklerk Msakakuona, remains optimistic that his side will return stronger.
“I know it is not good, but we will sort out all problems and come back stronger,” he said.
Despite losing key players—attacker Schumacher Kuwali to Mozambique’s ENH Vilankulo on loan, midfielder Andrew Jovinala to FCB Nyasa Big Bullets and goalkeeper Brighton Munthali to Creck Sporting Club—they retained most of their core squad.
On the technical bench, coach Elia Kananji jumped ship to Creck Sporting Club and Msakakuona returned as head coach on interim basis, assisted by his son, Steve Msakakuona.
In front of goal, the team has relied on James Stambuli, their top scorer with three goals while Tonic Viyuyu and Levison Mnyenyembe have chipped in with two apiece.
In midfield, they have been a bit sound as it was re-enforced with the acquisition of Flames captain, John ‘CJ’ Banda, backed by goalie, Joshua Waka, who has managed seven clean sheets.
Kamuzu Barracks sit eighth on the log with 22 points from six wins, four draws and five defeats.
Their record has been stronger on the road where they have secured four wins, one draw, and two losses.
At home, they have managed only two victories, three draws, and three defeats.
The team has scored seven goals and conceded ten at home, while away they have found the net 11 times and conceded seven. This is a slight drop compared to last season, when they were fifth at this stage with 23 points.
Assistant Coach Ted Kalida admitted the side’s performance has dipped.
“We have been passing through bad spells and collecting maximum points is important,” Kalida said.
Despite the inconsistencies, Kamuzu Barracks have registered some emphatic wins this season, including a 4-0 triumph over fellow Malawi Defence Force-sponsored outfit MAFCO at Chitowe Stadium, a 3-0 victory against Blue Eagles on 2 August, a 3-1 win over Songwe Border United on 12 July, and a similar scoreline against Mzuzu City Hammers on 6 April in their league opener.
Their heaviest defeats came in a 4-0 loss to Nyasa Big Bullets at Kamuzu Stadium on 24 May and a 3-0 home loss to Mighty Wanderers at Aubrey Dimba Stadium on 15 June.
Leading the scoring chart for Kamuzu Barracks is talisman Zeliati Nkhoma with six goals, followed closely by Francis Mchema, who has netted five.
Chitipa United sit ninth at the halfway stage of the TNM Super League, having recorded more draws than any other side — seven in total — four wins and four defeats, giving them 19 points.
Unfortunately for them, they have not won a single game on the road but did manage to get 3 draws and 4 losses.
They have managed to score just once when away, and conceded 8 times.
But at home, they have registered 4 wins and 4 draws and no defeat. They have also scored 10 goals and conceded three.
Last season for this side it was way worse! They were in the relegation zone by then, ranking 14th out of 16th with only 12 points.
Their Coach, Kondwa Ikwanga, said this improvement goes back to the technical style they have now adopted.
“We defend and keep the ball, despite having some lapses here and there,” Ikwanga said.
Chitipa United endured a poor start to the campaign, managing just one win in their first five matches. They opened with a 1-0 loss to MAFCO on 5 April, followed by a 2-2 draw with defending champions Silver Strikers.
A 1-0 victory over Ekhaya, courtesy of Joseph Mbaga on 21 April, briefly lifted their spirits, but they quickly slipped back into losing ways with a 2-0 defeat away to Premier Bet Dedza Dynamos, and a 1-1 draw with Civo on 11 May.
Their second win came on 21 June against Kamuzu Barracks, before they registered their biggest victory of the season — a 4-0 thrashing of Songwe Border United on 25 June.
This was followed by a run of draws, until the final match before the mid-season break, when they edged Blue Eagles 1-0 at home.
In front of goal, they have been relying on Mbaga and Andrew Joseph who both have scored twice.
Moyale Barracks and Creck Sporting
For Moyale Barracks and Creck Sporting, the story is quite similar. Both sides are tied on 18 points, separated only by two goals.
Moyale sit 10th, having managed four wins, six draws, and five defeats.
Surprisingly, their home record is poor — just one win, five draws, and two defeats — with six goals scored and seven conceded, keeping two clean sheets.
On the road, they have been more effective, winning three games, drawing once, and losing three, with five goals scored and eight conceded, and three clean sheets.
This marks a dip in form compared to last season, when they were seventh at the same stage with 22 points.
Their Coach, Pritchard Mwansa, affirmed that his side has dropped a lot of points in the first round.
Clever Kalambo has been their top goal scorer, managing to score three times and Maneno Nyoni scoring twice, making them the team’s most relied goal poachers.
Creck Sporting, in 11th place, also have 18 points.
They have won four games, drawn once, and lost three times at home. Away from home, they have struggled badly, with just one win, two draws, and four defeats.
At home, Creck have scored seven goals and conceded seven, keeping five clean sheets.
Away, they have scored only three goals and conceded nine, with two clean sheets.
Like Moyale, they too have dipped in performance — last season they were sixth with 23 points at the recess.
Due to poor results, the club sacked coach Joseph Kamwendo on 28 May after he registered only one win, one draw, and three defeats.
Harry Saidi took over as interim coach before the appointment of Eliyah Kananji in June.
Kananji’s start was also tough — a 1-0 defeat to Ekhaya on his debut, followed by a 2-0 loss to Civil Service United. He recorded his first win on 28 June against Moyale Barracks.
Hassan Hussein and Frabk Phiri are the only players that have scored more goals for Creck, managing only 2 goals.
Surprisingly, Creck failed to shine despite signing several players in the pre-season transfer window.
On 12th is the Malawi Armed Forces College Football Club (MAFCO).
They have 17 points, 5 wins, 2 draws and 8 defeats. This is also another underperformed side because last season on the recess, they were 8th with 21 points.
The team started well, a 1-0 win against Chitipa United, but lost to Karonga on the same scoreline before being destroyed 4-0 to Kamuzu Barracks. Their biggest win was against Mighty Tigers, a 3-1 victory.
Defensively, they only had 3 clean sheets.
Offensively, Prince Kachere managed to score thrice and Robert Rodwell twice.
Following closely is Mighty Tigers who are 13th with 16 points.
They, just like last season at the recess, they have edged out with an inch from the relegation trouble.
Since 5 July, when they won to Mzuzu City Hammers, Tigers haven’t won a single game up-to-date.
In the 2024 Season, they were 12th with 15 points.
This season they have managed 4 wins, 4 draws and 7 defeats.
Their best performances were at home, as they scored 8 goals, conceded 7 and registered 3 wins, a single draw and three defeats.
On the road they scored twice and conceded 8 and only managed a single win, three draws and 4 losses. They have also made 3 clean sheets at home and 4 on the road.
Offensively, they have been relying on Msowoya who has scored 5 times.
Sports analyst, Steven Jussa, cautioned the team that it might face the chop.
“For the past two seasons, this team has been fighting relegation. I feel like they are not financially strong to and this makes them to sell their promising players. I implore them to play as if every game is a final, because that is what they always do against the top 3 league giants (Wanderers, Bullets & Silver),” Jussa said.
But earlier before the season kicked-off, their coach, Leo Mpulula, said his team is not 100% ready to play in the league because there are a number of ‘things to be fixed’.
On 14th is Dedza Dynamos. Their position stems from a string of poor results, especially away because they lost 5, drew once and won once. They only scored 8 times and conceded 14 times.
However, they were a bit steady at home as they have managed 3 wins, 2 draws and 3 defeats. They scored six times and conceded the same number of goals.
Last season, they were 10th with 19 points.
Sports analyst, Dan Chemis, believes the dip is due to the selling of key players to other teams and the departure of their head coach, Andrew Bunya.
Early in the pre-season, they let go of their attacker, Promise Kamwendo, to Mighty Wanderers on a free-transfer. Kamwendo was one of their top marksmen in front of goal.
On 15th ranks Mzuzu City Hammers with only 8 points, 2 wins, 2 draws and 11 defeats.
Surprisingly, this team has not won a single game at home, lost 4 and drew twice on the same turf. However, on the road, they have managed only 2 wins, no draw and 7 defeats.
Last season at the same time they were 3rd with 25 points.
Their coach, Elias Chirambo, said they will beef up their squad ahead of the second round because they have been failing to convert their chances.
“We have some players coming to join the team, of which mostly are strikers so that we solve the problem, but the team has been playing well,” Chirambo said.
Analyst Chemis said Hammers should rope in players who have experience In the league or they might struggle.
Despite their disappointing form, Samson Olatibosan has been their frequent scorer, netting 4 and Moses Gwayi with two goals.
The league anchors this first round is newly promoted side, Songwe Border United with just 2 points. Actually this team has not won a single game, and they only have 2 draws and 13 defeats!
They have been defeated 7 times at home and managed a single home draw, on the road they have been defeated 6 times and a single draw.
At home they have conceded 16 times, and have scored only 4 times. On the road… it is even more embarrassing. A single goal and a whopping 26 goals conceded.
However, maybe their only highlight was a clean sheet on 09 August when they played a 0-0 draw to Mighty Tigers at home, and a 1-1 draw against Mzuzu City Hammers.
Their worst defeat was a 7-0 annihilation to FCB Nyasa Big Bullets on 20 April, despite their winger, Lewa Nkosi, getting appraise from their opponents fans due to his creativity and speed.
(Above: Lewa Nkosi being praised by opposing fans)
The team appointed Christopher Nyambose, a Super League-experienced coach, replacing Enock Mhone, to change their fate but this has not borne much fruit.
This is because Nyambose is on record saying that his side has players who are not fit to play in the elite tournament, despite the same bunch shinning in the lower league.
Analyst Dan Chemis said “They will struggle. Personally, I feel like they have already been relegated. They cannot rise to the occasion,” he said.
First Round Summary
According to the Super League of Malawi Facebook Page, 252 goals have been scored in 120 matches. Financially, the league has seen impressive growth, raking in K1,064,184,626 — a 54.39% increase from K689,298,100 in the same period last year.
The second round of the league is set to kick off on August 23.
