FAZ Women's Super Division

FAZ Women Super Division
Founded1999
CountryZambia
ConfederationCAF
Number of clubs18
Level on pyramid1-3
International cup(s)COSAFA / CAF W-Champions League
Current championsGreen Buffaloes Ladies FC
(2022-2023)
Most championshipsGreen Buffaloes Ladies FC (6 titles)
Current: 2024–25

The FAZ Women Super Division is the highest league of women's football in Zambia. It was established in the beginning of 2021 and is run by FAZ.[1] The inaugural season featured 12 teams from four provinces in Zambia.[2] The super division replaced the 4 regional women's leagues (Copperbelt, Lusaka, North-west and Central[3]) as the highest level of women's football in Zambia, while the regional leagues dropped to the second tier. In November 2022 a new nationalwide division one was created,[4] serving as the second tier and dropping the regional leagues to the third tier.

The teams for the first season of the super division were selected from an application process where FAZ granted spots in the league for fully structured teams that were expected to be able to complete the full season.[3] The creation of the league came from a wider promotion of the women's game in a promising era of Zambian women's football with the Copper Queens qualified for the Tokyo Olympic games. It was also a response to the newly announced CAF Women's Champions League, where the best teams of the continent are competing and started later in 2021.[3]

Past champions

The Women's Football League in Zambia dates back to the beginning of the 1980s when women competed in Copperbelt province. The national league began in January 1984,[5] according to RSSSF, with teams "mostly from Copperbelt towns: Luanshya, Mufulira (Mufulira Flying Queens), Kitwe (Kitwe Flying Angels), Ndola, Kalulushi, Chililabombwe (Konkola Blades) and Chingola."[5]

The Football Association of Zambia became involved in the national league held from 1999 for a few seasons,[5] and the Lusaka Zambia Women Football Championship Cup was held from 2005 to 2007.[5]

In the beginning of the 90s Copperbelt football died out[dubious – discuss] while it instead was introduced in Lusaka at the end of the decade[dubious – discuss] and Kabwata EDUSPORT United was an early dominant of the game.[6] Since then, women have competed in various competitions, predominantly in the Copperbelt and Lusaka, with the following champions:[5]

Year Copperbelt Lusaka Lusaka Cup National
2002 Lass Connect FC
2005 Arrows
2006 National Assembly Women
2007 National Assembly Women
2011 Green Buffaloes Women
2013 Green Buffaloes Women
2014 Moba Queens
2015 Zesco Ndola Girls Green Buffaloes Women
2016 Indeni Roses Green Buffaloes Women Green Buffaloes Womena
2017 Zesco Ndola Girls Green Buffaloes Women
2018 Indeni Roses Green Buffaloes Women Green Buffaloes Womenb
2019 Indeni Roses Green Buffaloes Women Green Buffaloes Womenc
2019−20 Abandoned due to COVID-19 pandemic
  • ^a First national championship final played between Copperbelt champion and Lusaka champion[7]
  • ^b Green Buffaloes Women won the Inaugural Charity Shield 2019 (played between 2018 champions in Copperbelt and Lusaka province league) over Indeni Roses and was announced national champions 2018[8][9]
  • ^c First national championship play-offs played between province league champions from Copperbelt, Lusaka, North-west, and Central.[10][11][12]

Super Division champions

Year National Notes
2020–21 Green Buffaloes Women First ever Super Division edition[13]
2021–22 Green Buffaloes Women Won over Yasa Queens on penalties in play-off Final[14]
2022–23 Green Buffaloes Women Won after taking the lead from Red Arrows on the final day[15]
2023–24 Green Buffaloes Women

Clubs in the 2022-2023 season

The third edition of the national league was won by Green Buffaloes and were contested by the following 18 clubs:

Club Province Final position current season Position previous season 2021/22 First season First season of current spell Number of seasons in Super Division Best Finishing position
Bauleni United Sports Academy Lusaka 15 5 Zone B 2020/21 2020/21 3 6 (2020/21)
Green Buffaloes Women Lusaka 1 1 Zone A 2020/21 2020/21 3 1 (2022/23)
Green Eagles Southern 11 7 Zone B 2021/22 2021/22 2 11 (2022/23)
Indeni Roses Copperbelt 6 2 Zone A 2020/21 2020/21 3 3 (2021/22)
Elite Ladies - Lusaka Dynamos Women Lusaka 4 4 Zone B 2020/21 2020/21 3 4 (2022/23)
Mufulira Wanderers Women Copperbelt 18 7 Zone A 2020/21 2020/21 3 12 (2020/21)
National Assembly Women Lusaka 9 6 Zone A 2020/21 2020/21 3 9 (2022/23)
Nkwazi Queens Lusaka 12 5 Zone A 2020/21 2020/21 3 8 (2020/21)
Play it Forward Queens Southern 16 Southern Province 1st 2022/23 2022/23 1 16 (2022/23)
Police Doves Queens North-Western 8 4 Zone A 2020/21 2020/21 3 8 (2022/23)
Prison Leopards Queens Central 17 8 Zone B 2021/22 2021/22 2 15 (2021/22)
Queens Academy Central 13 6 Zone B 2020/21 2020/21 3 10 (2020/21)
Red Arrows Women Lusaka 2 2 Zone B 2020/21 2020/21 3 2 (2022/23)
Trident Queens North-Western 10 North-West Province 1st 2022/23 2022/23 1 10 (2022/23)
YASA Queens Lusaka 7 1 Zone B 2020/21 2020/21 3 2 (2021/22)
Zanaco Ladies Lusaka 5 Lusaka Province 1st 2022/23 2022/23 1 5 (2022/23)
Zesco Ndola Girls Copperbelt 3 3 Zone A 2020/21 2020/21 3 3 (2022/23)
ZISD Queens Lusaka 14 3 Zone B 2020/21 2020/21 3 6 (2021/22)

Lower tiers of the football piramid

National League

The national division one League was introduced in the 2022–2023 season, and was played in two zones with 8 teams each. The league serves as the second tier of the Zambian football piramid for women.

Champions of the first season was Luyando in the South Zone and Police Blue Eagles in the North Zone.

Football training session, 2019

Regional Leagues

Serving as the third tier of Zambian female football is leagues divided by provinces. Earlier the top tier was organised like this but with the introduction of the Super division and National division one League, the regional football is feeding the nationalwide tiers.

References

  1. ^ "FORMATION OF A NATIONAL WOMEN'S LEAGUE AND PROMINENT WOMEN COMMITTEE TO RUN FUNDRAISING FOR COPPER QUEENS UNDERWAY – ANDREW KAMANGA". ZamFoot. Retrieved 19 February 2021.
  2. ^ "FAZ CONFIRM LUSAKA DYNAMOS WOMEN'S SUPER DIVISION STATUS". ZamFoot. Retrieved 19 February 2021.
  3. ^ a b c "Zambia FA to introduce eight teams women top flight league". Zone Foot. Retrieved 19 February 2021.
  4. ^ "FAZ WOMEN'S NATIONAL DIVISION ONE LEAGUE TAKES OFF". Melo Media. 2022-11-10. Retrieved 2023-06-05.
  5. ^ a b c d e "Zambia - List of Women Champions". RSSSF. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
  6. ^ "Zambia (Women) 1982-2001". RSSSF. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
  7. ^ "ZAMBIA: Green Buffaloes dismiss Indeni Roses to clinch 2016 league title". JWsports1. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
  8. ^ "Buffaloes win inaugural Zambia Women's Charity Shield". CAFOnline. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
  9. ^ "Zambia (Women) 2018". RSSSF. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
  10. ^ "FAZ to extend women's Super League to Central, NW provinces". NewsDiggers. 17 February 2019. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
  11. ^ "Green Buffaloes crowned Zambia Women's League champions". CAFOnline. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
  12. ^ "Zambia (Women) 2019". RSSSF. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
  13. ^ "BUFFALOES WIN LEAGUE WITH THREE GAMES TO SPARE". Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) Facebook. 2021-11-18. Retrieved 2023-06-05.
  14. ^ "Match Facts - Green Buffaloes vs Determine Girls". CAF Online. 2022-10-29. Retrieved 2023-06-05.
  15. ^ "WSL:Green Buffaloes again…. COSAFA Champions defend league crown". Zamfoot. 2023-05-07. Retrieved 2023-06-05.