A drop in goals scored
No hattrick yet
Songwe’s worst first round points tally
Bullets, Wanderers go neck to neck
On Sunday 10 August the first round of the TNM super league drew to a close, marking an end of what has been an exciting 15 match weeks of top flight football.
These 15 weeks have seen a total of 252 goals being scored in a total of 120 matches played across the country.
The first round has been full of exciting moments worth highlighting.
The battle for the golden boot seem to be a brotherly affair as two FCB Nyasa Big Bullets forwards Babatunde Adepoju and Chikumbutso Salima are in a tight race for the accolade with Adepoju leading the scorers chart with 8 goals while Salima is second with 7 goals.
Breathing down the duo’s neck is the trio of Zeliat Nkhoma and John Mchema of Kamuzu Barracks and Civil’s Dastain Banda all tied at 6 goals.
However, at the close of the first round no one has claimed the matchball by scoring a hatrick in the 2025 season.
Chikumbutso Salima seem to be having a season of his life as he is also appearing in the top 3 list of most assists provided.
Salima is tied on the top assists chart alongside Wisdom Mpinganjira and Blessings Malinda who both have 7 assists.
Another interesting battle is on who bags home the Golden glove.
Karonga United’s MacLean Mwale leads with 8 Clean Sheets seconded by Chitipa’s Jacob Anyandwile, Bullets’ Innocent Nyasulu and Blue Eagles’ Joshua Waka.
At 6 clean sheets, Ekhaya’s Elias Missi also stands a chance of taking home the golden glove.
However the first round has seen a significant drop in the number of goals scored as compared to same period last year.
At the end of the first round in the 2024 season, a total of 278 goals had been scored compared to this season’s 252.
Despite the number of goals scored so far dropping, there has been a significant improvement in the number of points accumulated by the top 4 teams.
For instance, at this stage last season, the top 4 had accumulated a combined total of 113 while this season, points have jumped to 125.
The only difference though has been the failure by current league leaders Mighty Wanderers to beat last season’s first round leaders and eventual Champions Silver Strikers’ first round points tally of 37 as Mighty Wanderers has only managed to collect 35 points from 15 games.
Unlike last season in which leaders Silver Strikers were 9 points clear at the top over second placed Mighty Wanderers, this season has been narrowed to just one point between leaders Mighty Wanderers and second placed FCB Nyasa Big Bullets, signifying how fierce the battle for maximum points has been in the 2025 season.
On the other side of the log table, things are not looking good at all for bottom side Songwe Border United as the side has made history of its own by becoming the first team to finish the first round without winning a single match in as many seasons.
Songwe have only managed 2 draws in 15 matches and they are 14 points off safety.
At this point last season, bottom side Baka City had managed to collect 7 points, 8 points adrift of 13th place. Interestingly both Songwe and Baka city are from Karonga district.
Unlike at the top where the top 4 have registered an improvement in the total points tally, the bottom 3 teams have decided to do things their own way collecting an accumulative 25 points unlike last season when 28 points were collected by the bottom 3.
So as teams go on recess to reflect on their first round performance, certain things are for a fact.
Songwe and Mzuzu City Hammers have a huge task of collecting maximum points especially in their opening 5 fixtures if they are to preserve their super league status.
At the top of the table, domestic cross-town rivals Mighty Wanderers and FCB Nyasa Big Bullets will wrestle for the title with defending Champions Silver Strikers breathing down their neck.
Debutants Ekhaya FC have already proved that they are not push overs and if their first round momentum is maintained, Enos Chatama’s boys might pull a surprise by finishing among the top 3 in their first season of top flight football.
