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. The inaugural season featured 12 teams from four provinces in Zambia. The super division replaced the 4 regional women's leagues (Copperbelt, Lusaka, North-west and Central) 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, 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. 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.
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, 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."
The Football Association of Zambia became involved in the national league held from 1999 for a few seasons, and the Lusaka Zambia Women Football Championship Cup was held from 2005 to 2007.
In the beginning of the 90s Copperbelt football died out while it instead was introduced in Lusaka at the end of the decade and Kabwata EDUSPORT United was an early dominant of the game. Since then, women have competed in various competitions, predominantly in the Copperbelt and Lusaka, with the following champions:
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 Women 2017 Zesco Ndola Girls Green Buffaloes Women 2018 Indeni Roses Green Buffaloes Women Green Buffaloes Women 2019 Indeni Roses Green Buffaloes Women Green Buffaloes Women 2019−20 Abandoned due to COVID-19 pandemic
First national championship final played between Copperbelt champion and Lusaka champion 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 First national championship play-offs played between province league champions from Copperbelt, Lusaka, North-west, and Central.
Super Division champions Year National Notes2020–21Green Buffaloes WomenFirst ever Super Division edition 2021–22 Green Buffaloes WomenWon over Yasa Queens on penalties in play-off Final 2022–23 Green Buffaloes WomenWon after taking the lead from Red Arrows on the final day 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: ClubProvinceFinal position current seasonPosition previous season 2021/22First seasonFirst season of current spellNumber of seasons in Super DivisionBest Finishing positionBauleni United Sports AcademyLusaka155 Zone B2020/212020/2136 (2020/21)Green Buffaloes WomenLusaka11 Zone A2020/212020/2131 (2022/23)Green EaglesSouthern117 Zone B2021/222021/22211 (2022/23)Indeni RosesCopperbelt62 Zone A2020/212020/2133 (2021/22)Elite Ladies - Lusaka Dynamos WomenLusaka44 Zone B2020/212020/2134 (2022/23)Mufulira Wanderers WomenCopperbelt187 Zone A2020/212020/21312 (2020/21)National Assembly WomenLusaka96 Zone A2020/212020/2139 (2022/23)Nkwazi QueensLusaka125 Zone A2020/212020/2138 (2020/21)Play it Forward QueensSouthern16Southern Province 1st2022/232022/23116 (2022/23)Police Doves QueensNorth-Western84 Zone A2020/212020/2138 (2022/23)Prison Leopards QueensCentral178 Zone B2021/222021/22215 (2021/22)Queens AcademyCentral136 Zone B2020/212020/21310 (2020/21)Red Arrows WomenLusaka22 Zone B2020/212020/2132 (2022/23)Trident QueensNorth-Western10North-West Province 1st2022/232022/23110 (2022/23)YASA QueensLusaka71 Zone B2020/212020/2132 (2021/22)Zanaco LadiesLusaka5Lusaka Province 1st2022/232022/2315 (2022/23)Zesco Ndola GirlsCopperbelt33 Zone A2020/212020/2133 (2022/23)ZISD QueensLusaka143 Zone B2020/212020/2136 (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.
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