NRFA Conducts Castel Challenge Cup Draw in Mzuzu
The grand launch of the Castel Challenge Cup will take place at Champion Stadium in Mponela, featuring a match between Blue Eagles and St Gabriel Zitha FC.
MZUZU, Malawi- The Northern Region Football Association (NRFA) held the draw for the Castel Challenge Cup on Monday, June 3, at Luwinga Technical Centre in Mzuzu, writes Victor Musongole.
During the draw, teams were urged to embrace modern football administration and avoid any form of bribery.
Masiya Nyasulu, the General Secretary of NRFA, emphasized the importance of teams establishing proper structures for modern football.
He also stressed the need for teams to open dedicated bank accounts to receive prize money directly, rather than into personal accounts.
Nyasulu stated, "What modern football demands is for teams to have accounts so that the prizes go directly to the team's account. Teams should refrain from bribing officials and instead focus on their groundwork."
Peter Gondwe, the Chairperson of Chintheche United based in Nkhatabay, expressed his satisfaction with the transparency of the draw.
He also shared his team's goal of qualifying for the national phase.
Gondwe stated, "We have assembled a strong team, both in terms of management and players. We have all the necessary structures and a team bank account, so we are fully prepared."
Robert Mzinza, the Football Association of Malawi (FAM) Regional Coordinator, urged teams to register their players in FAM's Mpira Connect system to ensure eligibility for the games.
The preliminary round of the Castel Challenge Cup will feature matches such as Chibavi Real Stars against Thaboland, Iponga FC against Mmbelwa Warriors, Chintheche United against Sporting, and Simbowe Stars against Chitipa White Movers, among others.
A total of 48 teams have registered for the competition at the regional level, including 28 teams from the regional league and 18 division one teams.
The draw also included the seeding of the top 10 ranked teams from the regional league in the first phase.
The grand launch of the Castel Challenge Cup will take place at Champion Stadium in Mponela, featuring a match between Blue Eagles and St Gabriel Zitha FC.