This year’s Northern Region Top Five Super League bonanza will run from March 21 to 23 at Rumphi Stadium.
The three-day bonanza will see Northern Region-based TNM Super League teams Moyale Barracks, Mzuzu City Hammers, Karonga United, Chitipa United and rookies Songwe Border United battling for glory as they look forward to competing in the 2025 season.
The bonanza’s organising committee vice chairperson, Paul Tembo, said the competition will give a platform to Super League teams from the region to assess their strengths and weaknesses, and fine tune their respective squads in preparation for the new season which kicks off next month.
He further said they have engaged potential sponsors to bankroll the bonanza, with discussions at an advanced stage.
“We want to have six Super League teams from this region next season, and this bonanza is key to that target. Our teams which will compete in the Super League this season need to prepare well so that they do not get relegated. Our newly-promoted team, Songwe Border, will find this bonanza very rewarding as they will get an idea of what to expect in the Super League.
“By playing against teams which have been in the Super League for many years, they will gain valuable experience which will help them to withstand the heat and avoid relegation. We do not want any of our teams to get relegated in the coming season. So the bonanza will help them to prepare well,” Tembo said.
Champions Hammers General Secretary Benjamin Thole said they are ready to retain the championship despite selling their five players.
“We still have a strong squad that will compete for silverware in all competitions. We commend the organisers for this timely bonanza. It is an exercise that will help us to assess our strengths as we continue preparing for the new season. We have roped in some new talented players who will give us the edge,” Thole said.
Initially, organisers had planned to hold the bonanza at Base Ground in Chitipa before shifting to Mzuzu Stadium.
But they later settled for Rumphi after being told that both venues were not ready to host the event as they are going under maintenance.
Winners of this year’s bonanza will pocket K1 million while the runners-up will walk home with half the amount, with the third-placed team pocketing K300,000.
Karonga Stadium hosted last year’s competition where Moyale emerged runners-up while relegated Baka City finished third.
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