National Division League side Changalume Barracks have gone 14 matches without a win, collecting just four points from four draws to sit bottom of the 12-team table.
They have scored 12 goals and conceded 32, leaving them with a goal difference of minus 20.
The results mark a sharp decline from last season, when Changalume were crowned champions of the Eastern Region Premier Division League.
By the end of the season in the Durata Premier Division League, Changalume had won 16 games, drawn six and lost twice, collecting 54 points.
They scored 53 goals and conceded 19, recording a goal difference of plus 34.
Their points-per-match rate has since plummeted from 2.25 in the Durata Premier Division League last season to just 0.29 in the NDL, a drop of about 87 per cent.
Their attacking output has also declined, from 2.21 goals per match to 0.86, while their defensive record has deteriorated from 0.79 goals conceded per match to 2.29.
These statistics highlight the scale of Changalume’s struggles, with the team currently sitting at the bottom of the league table.
A comparison with another struggling side, 11th-placed Bangwe All Stars, further illustrates the gap between the two teams.
Bangwe have collected nine points from 15 matches, recording two wins, three draws and 10 defeats. They have scored 13 goals and conceded 21, leaving them with a goal difference of minus eight.
Changalume’s latest defeat was a 3-0 loss to Ndirande Stars on Wednesday at Mpira Stadium in Blantyre, courtesy of a brace from Corazo Zonda and a goal from Madalitso Geoffrey.
Speaking after the match, Changalume assistant coach Mike Kumanga said his players were struggling in attack, particularly with finishing.
“The team is playing good football. We are trying to get finishing power, but it still remains a challenge,” Kumanga said.
Despite the team’s struggles, their leading scorer has been Ackim Mponda, who has netted five goals this season.
The striker scored a brace in their 2-2 draw against Chilobwe United on 20 June, followed by a goal in a thrilling 3-3 draw against Mighty Tigers on 27 June.
Mponda also found the net on 12 September against Songwe Border United in a narrow 2-1 defeat before scoring again on 19 September during a 3-1 loss to Embangweni United.
However, despite Mponda’s contributions, Changalume are yet to register a single win.
Kumanga has dismissed suggestions that the team will be relegated, insisting that there is still hope of survival.
“It’s not over until it’s over,” he said.
Kumanga said the team still had a chance of survival if the players worked hard to collect points from their remaining matches.
Football analyst Raymond Siyaya attributed Changalume’s poor results to the challenges of adjusting to the National Division League after competing against what he described as less competitive teams in the Eastern Region Football Association.
“Promotion has exposed their defensive frailties, inconsistency and limited capacity to cope with the tactical, physical and financial demands of a higher level,” Siyaya said.
He added that the team was experiencing a learning curve that required patience.
“The recruitment of coach Kumanga could provide fresh direction, provided he receives time and support to implement his ideas. Survival remains possible if the soldiers translate encouraging performances into consistent results,” Siyaya said.
Earlier before the season had kicked-off, Changalume Barracks Football Club chairman Raphael Ngwenya said the club was focused on building a disciplined side capable of achieving a higher league position.
“Based on the key factors discussed with the technical panel and the resource mobilisation team, I am optimistic that the team will deliver a commendable performance in the 2026/27 NBS Bank National Division League,” said Major Ngwenya.
Changalume had also strengthened their squad ahead of the season, signing Ibrahim Mkwate from Blantyre Immigration, Dickson Mponya from Cobbe Barracks, Alinafe Domwe from Malawi Navy FC and Kelvin Zulu from Ndirande All Stars.
However, the new signings have yet to help the team secure a victory, with Mkwate the only one to have registered a goal involvement.
He provided an assist for Mponda’s 13th-minute equaliser in the 2-2 draw against Chilobwe United.
Changalume’s next test comes on 24 October when they face Mighty Tigers.
