The road to the 2026 Transition Season Championship Match has been mapped out, with Kansanshi Dynamos set to begin their campaign in Stream A as the MTN Super League takes on a new format.
The 2026 Transition Season is part of the transition to Zambia’s new football calendar, with the MTN Super League scheduled to kick off on 3 October 2026 and run through January 2027.
For Kansanshi Dynamos, the campaign follows an 11th-place finish in the 2025/26 MTN Super League, which was played under the traditional league format. The Fearless Mabanga Boys now enter a different competition structure, with 18 matches standing between each team and the end of the league programme.
At the end of those 18 matches, the team finishing top of Stream A will qualify for the Championship Match, where they will face the team that finishes top of Stream B.
The Championship Match is scheduled for 31 January 2027, with the winner crowned the 2026 Transition Season Champion.
There will also be a continental prize attached to the title, as the Transition Season champion will earn the opportunity to represent Zambia in the CAF Champions League, subject to CAF regulations and club licensing requirements.
Who is in Stream A?
Kansanshi Dynamos will compete alongside FC MUZA, Nkana FC, Trident FC, Konkola Blades, Nchanga Rangers, NAPSA Stars, ZANACO FC, Power Dynamos and Makeni All Stars in Stream A.
The 18-match programme will see the Fearless Mabanga Boys face each of the nine teams in the stream twice, with the campaign stretching from October 2026 into January 2027.
Kansanshi will open the league away from home against Makeni All Stars on Sunday, 4 October, before travelling to face FC MUZA on 10 October.
The first home fixture is scheduled for 14 October, when Kansanshi Dynamos host Power Dynamos at Independence Stadium in Solwezi.
The final scheduled league fixture will see the Fearless Mabanga Boys host Nchanga Rangers on 23 January 2027 at Independence Stadium.
Full Fixture https://www.kansanshidynamos.com/stream-a-2026-transitional-league-fixtures/
More than the title at stake
While the race for the top of each stream will determine the two teams that advance to the Championship Match, league positions will carry significance throughout the table.
At the end of the Transition Season, two teams from each MTN Super League stream will be relegated, while two teams from each National Division zone will be promoted to the top flight.
The final standings will also determine qualification for the 2027 ABSA Cup.
This represents a change from previous seasons, when qualification was determined at the halfway stage. Under the Transition Season format, qualification will be based on the final standings, meaning the league table will remain important through to the conclusion of the campaign.
MTN marks 15 years with the league
The Transition Season also marks 15 years of MTN’s partnership with the Zambian Premier League.
MTN Chief Home Officer Elias Chembe reflected on the company’s long-standing relationship with the league, highlighting football’s role in bringing people together and expressing the company’s continued commitment to Zambian football.
TopStar to broadcast 58 matches
Meanwhile, supporters will have opportunities to follow the action from home, with TopStar Communications Company set to broadcast 58 matches during the Transition Season.
TopStar Public Relations Manager Joy Chula said the broadcaster is working to improve the viewing experience following feedback from supporters.
Two matches will be broadcast on Saturdays and two on Sundays, with matches kicking off simultaneously at 15:00 and being shown on different channels.
The arrangement is aimed at giving supporters greater access to the weekend’s action as the league enters a new chapter.
With the Transition Season concluding with the Championship Match on 31 January 2027, the final destination is clear, but the journey begins with 18 matches in each stream.
For the Fearless Mabanga Boys, that journey starts in Stream A.
