President Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera has scored another political and symbolic goal — this time, not at a rally, but on the football pitch. This afternoon, the MCP leader is set to become the first sitting president in Malawi’s history to attend a TNM Super League match, as Chitipa United FC takes on Blue Eagles at Chitipa Stadium.
The move has been confirmed by Super League of Malawi general secretary Williams Banda, who revealed that the President and his entourage have paid for VIP stands. “This is not a free match. Everyone will pay to watch the game,” Banda said, adding that the gesture shows the President’s respect for the sport and for rural communities.
Banda was effusive in his praise: “History has been made and Chitipa people are appreciative. As Super League of Malawi, we are grateful to the State President Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera for watching a low-profile match as opposed to crowd pullers. This signifies the commitment and passion the State President has for football development in the rural areas of Malawi.”
For analysts, this is more than a football story — it’s clever, people-focused campaigning. By stepping into the heart of Chitipa, far from the political power bases of the central and southern regions, Chakwera is tightening his northern grip just weeks after locking the centre. With only the south left to fully breach, his political “fixture list” is looking more like a winning season, where 50% plus one in the first round is no longer an ambition but a looming reality.
Today’s match is one of the last three fixtures of the 2025 TNM Super League first round, alongside FCB Nyasa Bullets hosting Karonga United at Kamuzu Stadium in Blantyre and Mighty Wanderers away to Civil Service United at Civo Stadium in Lilongwe. But in political terms, the Chitipa game may just be the headline fixture — with Chakwera already proving he can draw the biggest crowd, whether in politics or sport.
