People from all walks of life on Sunday converged at Zomba Stadium, Zomba City, to witness a goalless friendly match between Red Lions and FCB Nyasa Big Bullets in a match that was deemed as a litmus test for the newly-constructed 20,000-seater stadium.
There was excitement as the two teams got onto the pitch, which will likely be hosting top-flight matches, subject to Football Association of Malawi (Fam)’s confirmation.
Businessmen, Kabaza operators and pedestrians thronged to what was demolished as Zomba Community Centre Ground in 2017 and turned into Zomba Stadium, nine years later.
At the end of it all, the match grossed about K26 million in revenue, with both teams sharing about K6.5 million each.
Meanwhile, Zomba City Council Executive Officer Archangel Bakolo has said the stadium is at about 85 percent completion rate in the second phase of its construction.
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“We have given ourselves about a month to complete everything in the second phase,” he said.
In his remarks, Member of Parliament for Zomba City North Constituency Bester Awali said he was still pushing for funds in Parliament.
“If the funds are released, then the works would be completed shortly,” he said.
Zomba City Sports Lovers Committee Chairperson Gracious Madziodikha Kubwalo called on Fam to consider certifying the ground to host top-flight league matches in the forthcoming season.
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“On our part, the ground looks okay. It is our hope that the ground will pass the test to get accredited,” Kubwalo said.
Meanwhile, Bullets Coach Gilbert Chirwa has blamed referees for poor officiation.
“The match was okay but what the referees did was embarrassing at some point. We are going back to Blantyre to rectify our weaknesses,” he said.
Lions Assistant Coach Brighton Ngwenyama said the team was ready to compete in the FDH Bank Premiership in the 2026 season.
“We are working in all areas of the team,” he said.
