There is no denying that football is a sport popular all over the planet. As a matter of fact, it’s not called the most important unimportant thing in the world for no reason. When it comes to Malawi, it is without a doubt the most popular sport that attracts many viewers and punters. But, how come football has such a large audience and where can interested fans go to place a few bets on both local and international matches? Read on for more information.
How popular is football in Malawi?
Fans of football have plenty of opportunities to enjoy the game. For starters, the sport is run by the Football Association of Malawi (FAM). It administers both the national team and the local leagues. FAM was founded in 1966 and became a part of FIFA in 1968. In terms of CAF, it became a provisional member in 1973 and a full member in 1974. The current president of the association is Walter Nyamilandu.
FAM is typically associated with the national team of Malawi, which is called the Flames. Before 1966, the team was known as the Nyasaland national football team. Even though they have been taking part in many international tournaments since the 1960s, they have not yet won any titles or honors. When it comes to the African Cup of Nations, they qualified three times, in 1984, 2010, and 2021. In 1984, they finished the tournament in the group stage. The same result was achieved in 2010 and the team reached the Round of 16 in 2021. They also played in the All Africa Cup in the 1980s and won CECAFA in 1978, 1979, and 1988. The team is yet to play in a World Cup.
Then, the Super League of Malawi is the top football division in the country that was founded in 1986. There are currently 16 teams participating and competing for the title. Moreover, the winner qualifies for the Confederation of African Football Champions League or Confederation Cup. The teams that place in the last three places are demoted to the regional leagues and replaced by teams from the same leagues. The current champions are Nyasa Big Bullets while they also have the most titles ever – 16. Silver Strikers, Mighty Wanderers, and Kamuzu Barracks are some of the other big names. In addition, there are two domestic cups organized as well, the FISD Challenge Cup and the Malawi Charity Shield.
In addition to local matches that are available, football fans also have the opportunity to enjoy various other leagues. For example, some like other African leagues or those of neighboring countries, so South African or Nigerian football might be interesting to them. On the other hand, some look for overseas action and tune in to English, Spanish, and Italian leagues on a regular basis. What is more, Malawians also like to follow international tournaments like the Champions League and the FIFA World Cup.
The player with the most appearances for the Malawi national team is Young Chimodzi, with 159. He is followed by Jack Chamangwana, Lawrence Waya, Harry Waya, and Kinnah Phiri. Furthermore, Phiri is the top goalscorer for Malawi, with 71 in 117 appearances.
How can an interested punter bet on football?
With so many chances, it’s only normal to wonder how one can bet on a match or few. It’s rather simple, actually. An interested punter should find a reliable bookmaking website, create an account, and place a wager.
For beginners, finding a betting site might be an obstacle, but it’s not difficult at all. There are now many review websites like bettors.co.mw that list different pros and cons of each available operator. For instance, these online guides teach individuals what to pay attention to and cover all the bases.
Therefore, by reading a sportsbook review, one can see which sports are available to bet on as well as the variety of bets that punters can make. While it’s rare that a provider doesn’t have football in its offer, it might happen that they don’t have some specific bets like top goalscorer or something similar.
Besides the offer of games and bets, punters should also look out for the available bonuses that sportsbooks provide their users with. From welcome and reload bonuses to no-deposit and cashback bonuses, there are different kinds of deals players can encounter.
An important thing to pay attention to is the payment methods. Many operators accept debit and credit cards as well as bank transfers. E-wallets, prepaid cards, and cryptocurrency are also available in certain cases.
Last but not least, online safety is very important, which is why punters want to ensure they are using a website that relies on SSL certificates and offers encryption that keeps their personal and financial data safe. If a URL starts with HTTPS://, that is a good sign.
As you can see, Malawians love football and have countless opportunities to watch fun matches and even place a wager or two.
