Who has won the most Zambia Super League titles?

Ralph Staniforth

Editor

Last updated: 25 Jun 2024

Ralph Staniforth 25 Jun 2024

Share this article

A look at the history of the Zambia Super League
Who has won the most Zambia Super League titles?
Guide to the most successful clubs of the Zambia Super League

Who has won the most Zambia Super League titles? (Getty Images)

The Zambia Super League is the premier professional football competition in the country, characterised by fierce rivalries and featuring talented players, some of who have gone on to play for the top clubs worldwide.

In 1961, a Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe football championship was planned but never came to fruition; however, in 1962, the Football Association of Zambia established the first Zambian league championship.

Thirteen teams took part in the inaugural season, including Bancroft North End, Broken Hill Warriors, City of Lusaka, Kitwe United, Lusaka Queens Park, Mufulira United, Mufulira Wanderers, Nchanga Rangers, Nchanga Sports, Ndola FC, Ndola United, Rhokana United, and Roan United; who emerged as champions.

In 1967, Mufulira Wanderers became the only club to score 100 league goals in a single season.

Kalulushi Modern Stars achieved the opposite the following season, conceding 126 goals.

Green Buffaloes holds the record for the longest unbeaten run in the league, 44 games, stretching from 1973 to 1975.

The league was officially named the Super League in 1982, with Nkana Red Devils emerging as champions, with three points for a win only introduced in 1988.

The winner of the Zambia Super League each season qualifies for the CAF Champions League, and the runner-up contests the CAF Confederation Cup.

At the end of each campaign, the bottom four teams in the Zambia Super League (ZSL) standings are relegated to the Zambian Division One league, with the top four teams from that division joining the ZSL.

Mufulira Wanderers was the first club to win three successive league titles (1965 to 1967), with Kabwe Warriors (1970 to 1972), Green Buffaloes (1973 to 1975), Nkana FC (1988 to 1990), and ZESCO United (2017 to 2019) also achieving the same feat.

ZESCO United holds the distinction of scoring the most points in the season, 80 in 38 games

The fewest goals conceded in a season of 38 matches stands at 14, achieved by Zanaco in 2005 and 2015 and ZESCO United in 2008.

Here is the list of the most successful teams to have won the MTN Zambia Super League.

Team	No. of Titles
Nkana FC (Nkana Red Devils)	13
Mufulira Wanderers and ZESCO United	9
Power Dynamos and Zanaco	7
Green Buffaloes	6
Kabwe Warriors	5
Red Arrows	4
Nchanga Rangers	2

Some well-known clubs that have yet to win the MTN Zambia Super League include :

Nkwazi
Green Eagles
MUZA

Ralph is from South Africa and studied Sports Science post school at ETA (Education Teachers Academy) in Cape Town.

He has always had a great passion for sport and this led him into the world of sports journalism, while coaching on the side. Since 2012 Ralph has worked as a journalist and covered many topics from business to sport.

Over the last seven years he has interviewed numerous top rugby and cricket players and coaches in South Africa.

Ralph has been betting on sports for the last ten years. He’s knowledgeable on numerous topics including football, rugby, cricket, tennis and golf.

He supports Manchester United (football), Cheetahs (rugby), Knights (cricket) and has a newly found appreciation for Dominic Thiem on the tennis courts.