The 2026 Zambia Premier League (ZPL) title will be decided by a Championship Match between the winners of the league’s two streams under the new Transition Season format.
The ZPL has confirmed that the 20-team MTN Super League will be divided into two groups of 10, with clubs allocated to the Odd and Even Positions streams according to their final standings in the recently concluded season.
The Odd Positions Stream comprises reigning champions Power Dynamos, FC MUZA, Nchanga Rangers, ZANACO FC, Konkola Blades, Kansanshi Dynamos, Nkana FC, NAPSA Stars, Makeni All Stars and Trident FC.
The Even Positions Stream features ABSA Cup winners Red Arrows, Kabwe Warriors, Green Eagles, Mufulira Wanderers, ZESCO United, Green Buffaloes, Nkwazi FC, Mutondo Stars, Chirundu United and Roan United.
Each team will play 18 matches within its respective stream, with the side finishing top of each group earning a place in the decisive Championship Match.
Finishing first in a stream will therefore not be enough to claim the league title.
Instead, the two stream winners will meet in a winner-takes-all Championship Match on 31 January 2027, with the victor crowned the 2026 Transition Season champion.
The new format means the domestic champion will ultimately be decided by a single fixture, giving the final match of the shortened season added significance.
The Transition Season runs from 26 September 2026 to 31 January 2027, with the MTN Super League campaign scheduled to begin on 3 October as Zambia moves towards a new domestic football calendar.
The eventual champion will also have a major continental prize to look forward to, with the winner qualifying to represent Zambia in the CAF Champions League, subject to CAF competition regulations and club licensing requirements.
The shortened campaign will also retain promotion and relegation. Two teams will be promoted from each National Division zone, while two clubs from each Super League stream will be relegated.
The final Transition Season standings will also determine qualification for the 2027 ABSA Cup, replacing the previous system of using league positions at the halfway stage.
The ZPL says the arrangement is designed to keep the competition meaningful until the end of the season, with clubs fighting for stream supremacy, survival and ABSA Cup qualification.
But the ultimate prize will be decided in one final contest.
Twenty teams. Two streams. Two winners. One Championship Match to decide the 2026 Transition Season champion.
