The 2024 edition of the K20 million Champion Cup kicks off tomorrow with a play-off between Kalembelembe and Mchalochalo at Champion Stadium in Mponela, Dowa District.
The opening match will be followed by a doubleheader on March 3 when Jidi and Chinkhombwe will curtain-raise the match between Dowa Hammers and Kamsonga FC.
Action will then continue on March 10 when soccer lovers will be treated to another double header with Lumbadzi United and Lumbadzi FC curtain-raising the match involving Dowa Young Academy and Nsalu United.
The competition’s General Secretary Pilirani Chibwana said winning teams in all the five matches will join regional league teams in the group stages.
“Our intention is to take on board the teams that will do well in the play-offs so they join the regional teams which will compete in the group stages. We settled for the play-offs because of the demand. It appears many teams want to join this competition. So we thought the best way to determine who is good enough to join the group stages is to have play-offs.
“However, advancing into the group stages will not be automatic for teams that will win the play-offs. We will consider other factors such as discipline because we do not want to have teams that will give us problems. We settled for the play-offs to eliminate teams that are ill-disciplined. So we will see what comes out of the play-offs,” Chibwana said.
He also said the other factor they will consider is the composition of players in all the teams meeting in the play-offs.
“We have been reliably informed that some of the teams have Super League players. For these play-offs, we will allow them to play. But our message to such teams is that they will not be allowed to advance into the group stages even if they win. This is a competition for regional and district players only and we will make sure that we follow all the rules,” Chibwana said.
The competition’s group stages will kick off on April 7 with teams from Central, Northern and Southern Region football leagues competing in four groups of four each.
Mighty Mukuru Wanderers Reserve won the inaugural edition of the cup after a 1-0 beating of Kalonga Rovers on January 7.
