The Super League kicks off next month, with several teams looking to wrestle the title away from Power Dynamos, who have won the championship on the last two occasions.
As we build up to the new season, I want to draw your attention to something interesting, the clubs with the longest title droughts.
For some of Zambia’s historic football clubs, league glory has become a distant memory, with the country’s longest championship drought now stretching beyond six decades.
As the new season approaches, here are some remarkable numbers from the title history:
ROAN UNITED – 64 YEARS
Roan United sit at the top of the unwanted list. The club won the inaugural title in 1962, that is their only league title, but have not won the championship since.
However, their drought has included spells outside the top division, meaning they have not spent all 64 years competing in the elite league.
This season, Roan return to the top flight after last playing in the Super League in 2014. Can they shock everyone and claim gold?
GREEN BUFFALOES – 45 YEARS
Next are Green Buffaloes, who have won the league six times, but their last title came in 1981, leaving them with a 45-year wait for another league crown.
KABWE WARRIORS – 39 YEARS
Kabwe Warriors have won the league five times, with their most recent success coming in 1987. They have now gone 39 years without reclaiming the title.
MUFULIRA WANDERERS – 30 YEARS
One of the most successful clubs in Zambian football history, Mufulira Wanderers have won the league nine times.
But the Mighty have not lifted the championship since 1996, that is a 30-year drought.
NCHANGA RANGERS – 28 YEARS
Nchanga Rangers have been champions twice, with their last title coming in 1998. They have now gone 28 years without another league crown.
At the other end of the scale, some former champions have had considerably shorter waits.
Nkana, the country’s most successful league campaigners with 13 times, last tasted success in 2020 and have gone six years without the title. ZESCO United, nine-time champions, last won it in 2021, giving them a five-year drought, while ZANACO, seven-time champions, have waited 10 years since their 2016 triumph.
Red Arrows, three-time champions, are the most recent former champions to end their wait, having won the title in 2024 before Power Dynamos reclaimed it in 2025 and retained it in 2026. City of Lusaka, who won the championship once in 1964, are also among Zambia’s former champions but are not in the running for the title as they are in the lower division.
Looking forward to see what this season holds.
