Mlatho Mponela earn Super League promotion

Mlatho Mponela on Sunday earned promotion into the TNM Super League after sealing their Chipiku Stores Central Region Football League (CRL) Premier Division championship with a 3-0 win over Dedza Young Soccer.

The Dowa-based side has become the first team from the second-tier regional leagues to earn a slot in the top-flight league.

They have finished the league with 81 points, eight clear of second-placed Kasungu Police in the 20-team league and excitement was the prevalent emotion in their camp.

Mlatho Mponela patron Maxwell Phiri saluted the players, technical staff and supporters for giving out their best throughout the season.

“It was a tough journey with some ups and downs along the way, but in the end, we made it.

“Our target was to have good infrastructure, set-up an academy and beef up the technical panel which we did by engaging Eddie Ng’onamo as technical director and Bothwell Saka and Hellings Mwakasungula as coaches,” he said.

Phiri said they are not going to sit on their laurels and will immediately turn their attention to Super League preparations.

He said their preparations will include beefing up the squad with a couple of experienced and promising young players.

“We also intend to travel to Zambia for conditioning. So, we are leaving no stone unturned,” said Phiri.

Saka said good team spirit and dedication was the secret behind their success.

“We had a mission to accomplish and we were all pulling in the same direction,” he said.

Mponela will be returning to the Super League after six years having been relegated to the lower league in 2013.