Baka City FC Clinches Historic Promotion to Top Soccer Division
Baka City has become just the second-ever side from the far northern border region to reach Malawi's 16-team elite division since independence.
MZIMBA, Malawi— A small professional club achieved a landmark accomplishment, clinching promotion to Malawi's top-tier Super League for the first time ever on Saturday with a pivotal come-from-behind victory, writes Victor Musongole.
Baka City FC, nicknamed the "Clever Boys," defeated Ekwendeni United 2-1 to mathematically seal the regional league title in the northern district of Mzimba with two matches left on their schedule.
The result guarantees the squad, based just south of the lakefront town of Karonga, will play in the national first division next season.
Baka City manager Bentley Chaula said the newly assembled team focused intensely on cohesion and purpose during an intense preseason camp.
"We had a good preparatory meeting; we agreed to assemble the squad and put them together in a hostel this season, and that made the players put all their focus on the ground," Chaula remarked following the historic result.
Northern Region Football Association vice general secretary Desire Bellings, who oversees the second-tier Innobuild Championship league, congratulated the victors while urging them to follow the model of overachieving top-flight debutants like Chitipa United.
With dominance through the fall and spring campaigns, Bellings said Baka City claimed "one of the most exciting" regional title races in memory despite a late scare needing a comeback Saturday.
“It has been one of the most exciting seasons, and mathematically, Baka City with 28 points is this season's champion, as no team can reach that far with two games left,” Bellings told local media.
The club, known as the Clever Boys, relied on goals from Ngesa Mwafulirwa and Onesi Mwakangamale to flip the script after conceding an equaliser from the penalty spot.
Chaula said management will promptly shift focus to reinforcing the playing squad and backroom staff to mount a credible top-tier challenge in the months ahead. But after generations of futility for Karonga district clubs, the village is already celebrating a historic sporting achievement.
Baka City has become just the second-ever side from the far northern border region to reach Malawi's 16-team elite division since independence.