Last season’s top 8 teams to escape each other as FAM reveals FDH Bank Cup draw procedures
Teams that finished in top 8 in the TNM Super League last season will escape each other in the round of 32 of the FDH Bank Cup as the Football Association of Malawi has outlined the draw procedure that will be conducted on 25th May at Mpira Village in Blantyre.
According to the statement released by the association, The draw will start with the round of 32 whereby the top eight Super League teams as at the end of the 2022 TNM Super League season namely: FCB Nyasa Big Bullets, Blue Eagles, Kamuzu Barracks ,Mighty Mukuru Wanderers, Silver Strikers, MAFCO, Civil Services and Dedza Dynamos, will be seeded in the sense that they will not face each other.
They will be put in one pot and drawn against the other 24 teams (The reaming 8 Super League teams and the 16 Regional Leagues teams) in the other pot.
“However, during the draw involving the seeded teams there will be another draw to determine the home teams in the matches while the other draw the home team will be determined by the team drawn first. After that we will continue to do the draw for the round of 16,” reads the statement in part.
Teams that lost at regional level against Reserve teams will progress to the National Stage of the FDH Bank Cup as the Reserve teams have been barred from playing against Super League teams.
Football Association of Malawi (Fam) made the decision during its Executive Committee meeting in Salima District that the country’s reserve teams will no longer be allowed to compete in national teams with immediate effect.
The association’s Communications and Competitions Director Gomezgani Zakazaka said they will start implementing the decision during the 2023 FDH Bank Cup.
“It is about preserving the integrity of the competition. We want to ensure that teams which fall under one ownership are not playing in the same competition, just like Club Licensing prohibits reserve teams from getting promoted to the Super League.
“They can play in the regional play-offs for exposure and development but will not qualify for the national draw,’’ Zakazaka said.
Announcing the draw procedure through the statement, FAM said the immediate losers in ties against Reserve sides in the last preliminary round will qualify for the National draw.
The 2023 FDH Bank Cup National draw will be held on Thursday May 25, 2023 at the Mpira Village in Blantyre from 10 am. It will attract 32 teams with 16 coming from the Super League and the other 16 from the three regional leagues.
The Regional preliminary round ended last weekend with 60 Regional League teams taking part. The South had 22 teams; the Centre had 18 teams while the North had 20 teams.
The Qualified teams for the National draw are as follows:
Super League
FCB Nyasa Big Bullets, Blue Eagles, Kamuzu Barracks ,Mighty Mukuru Wanderers, Silver Strikers, MAFCO, Moyale, Civil Services, Dedza Dynamos, Ekwendeni Hammers, Karonga United, Mighty Tigers FC, Red Lions, Chitipa United, Extreme FC and Bangwe All Stars
Southern Region Football League
Mpondasi FC have reached the national stage of the competition despite suffering a 5-0 defeat to last season’s finalists, FCB Nyasa Big Bullets Reserve.
Zingwangwa United, Balaka FC, Ntopwa FC, Ndirande FC, Ntaja United and Mpondasi FC.
Central Region Football League
Mbabzi United, Leyman Panthers, Santhe Admarc, Airborne Rangers and St Gabriel Zitha FC.
Northern Region Football League
Ekwendeni Hard Knockers reached the National stage despite losing 4-1 on penalties to Ekwendeni Hammers Reserve.
Ekwendeni Hard knockers, Mayamiko Stars , Ekwaiweni Tafika Sports Academy , Iponga FC, Chilumba Barracks
