| FAZ Women Super Division | |
| Country: | Zambia |
| Founded: | 1999 |
| Teams: | 18 |
| Champions: | Green Buffaloes Ladies FC |
| Season: | 2022-2023 |
| Most Successful Club: | Green Buffaloes Ladies FC (6 titles) |
| Levels: | 1-3 |
| Confed Cup: | COSAFA / CAF W-Champions League |
| Current: | 2023 |
The FAZ Women Super Division is the highest league of women's football in Zambia. It was established in the beginning of 2021 and is run by FAZ.[1] The inaugural season featured 12 teams from four provinces in Zambia.[2] The super division replaced the 4 regional women's leagues (Copperbelt, Lusaka, North-west and Central[3]) as the highest level of women's football in Zambia, while the regional leagues dropped to the second tier. In November 2022 a new nationalwide division one was created,[4] serving as the second tier and dropping the regional leagues to the third tier.
The teams for the first season of the super division were selected from an application process where FAZ granted spots in the league for fully structured teams that were expected to be able to complete the full season. The creation of the league came from a wider promotion of the women's game in a promising era of Zambian women's football with the Copper Queens qualified for the Tokyo Olympic games. It was also a response to the newly announced CAF Women's Champions League, where the best teams of the continent are competing and started later in 2021.
The Women's Football League in Zambia dates back to the beginning of the 1980s when women competed in Copperbelt province. The national league began in January 1984, according to RSSSF, with teams "mostly from Copperbelt towns: Luanshya, Mufulira (Mufulira Flying Queens), Kitwe (Kitwe Flying Angels), Ndola, Kalulushi, Chililabombwe (Konkola Blades) and Chingola."
The Football Association of Zambia became involved in the national league held from 1999 for a few seasons, and the Lusaka Zambia Women Football Championship Cup was held from 2005 to 2007.
In the beginning of the 90s Copperbelt football died out while it instead was introduced in Lusaka at the end of the decade and Kabwata EDUSPORT United was an early dominant of the game.[5] Since then, women have competed in various competitions, predominantly in the Copperbelt and Lusaka, with the following champions:[6]
| Year | Copperbelt | Lusaka | Lusaka Cup | National | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Lass Connect FC | ||||
| 2005 | Arrows | ||||
| 2006 | National Assembly Women | ||||
| 2007 | National Assembly Women | ||||
| 2011 | Green Buffaloes Women | ||||
| 2013 | Green Buffaloes Women | ||||
| 2014 | Moba Queens | ||||
| 2015 | Zesco Ndola Girls | Green Buffaloes Women | |||
| 2016 | Indeni Roses | Green Buffaloes Women | Green Buffaloes Women | ||
| 2017 | Zesco Ndola Girls | Green Buffaloes Women | |||
| 2018 | Indeni Roses | Green Buffaloes Women | Green Buffaloes Women | ||
| 2019 | Indeni Roses | Green Buffaloes Women | Green Buffaloes Women | ||
| 2019−20 | Abandoned due to COVID-19 pandemic | ||||
| Year | National | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020–21 | Green Buffaloes Women | First ever Super Division edition[13] | |
| 2021–22 | Green Buffaloes Women | Won over Yasa Queens on penalties in play-off Final[14] | |
| 2022–23 | Green Buffaloes Women | Won after taking the lead from Red Arrows on the final day[15] | |
| 2023–24 | Green Buffaloes Women |
The third edition of the national league was won by Green Buffaloes and were contested by the following 18 clubs:
| Club | Province | Final position current season | Position previous season 2021/22 | First season | First season of current spell | Number of seasons in Super Division | Best Finishing position | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bauleni United Sports Academy | Lusaka | 15 | 5 Zone B | 2020/21 | 2020/21 | 3 | 6 (2020/21) | |
| Green Buffaloes Women | Lusaka | 1 | 1 Zone A | 2020/21 | 2020/21 | 3 | 1 (2022/23) | |
| Green Eagles | Southern | 11 | 7 Zone B | 2021/22 | 2021/22 | 2 | 11 (2022/23) | |
| Indeni Roses | Copperbelt | 6 | 2 Zone A | 2020/21 | 2020/21 | 3 | 3 (2021/22) | |
| Elite Ladies - Lusaka Dynamos Women | Lusaka | 4 | 4 Zone B | 2020/21 | 2020/21 | 3 | 4 (2022/23) | |
| Mufulira Wanderers Women | Copperbelt | 18 | 7 Zone A | 2020/21 | 2020/21 | 3 | 12 (2020/21) | |
| National Assembly Women | Lusaka | 9 | 6 Zone A | 2020/21 | 2020/21 | 3 | 9 (2022/23) | |
| Nkwazi Queens | Lusaka | 12 | 5 Zone A | 2020/21 | 2020/21 | 3 | 8 (2020/21) | |
| Play it Forward Queens | Southern | 16 | Southern Province 1st | 2022/23 | 2022/23 | 1 | 16 (2022/23) | |
| Police Doves Queens | North-Western | 8 | 4 Zone A | 2020/21 | 2020/21 | 3 | 8 (2022/23) | |
| Prison Leopards Queens | Central | 17 | 8 Zone B | 2021/22 | 2021/22 | 2 | 15 (2021/22) | |
| Queens Academy | Central | 13 | 6 Zone B | 2020/21 | 2020/21 | 3 | 10 (2020/21) | |
| Red Arrows Women | Lusaka | 2 | 2 Zone B | 2020/21 | 2020/21 | 3 | 2 (2022/23) | |
| Trident Queens | North-Western | 10 | North-West Province 1st | 2022/23 | 2022/23 | 1 | 10 (2022/23) | |
| YASA Queens | Lusaka | 7 | 1 Zone B | 2020/21 | 2020/21 | 3 | 2 (2021/22) | |
| Zanaco Ladies | Lusaka | 5 | Lusaka Province 1st | 2022/23 | 2022/23 | 1 | 5 (2022/23) | |
| Zesco Ndola Girls | Copperbelt | 3 | 3 Zone A | 2020/21 | 2020/21 | 3 | 3 (2022/23) | |
| ZISD Queens | Lusaka | 14 | 3 Zone B | 2020/21 | 2020/21 | 3 | 6 (2021/22) |
The national division one League was introduced in the 2022–2023 season, and was played in two zones with 8 teams each. The league serves as the second tier of the Zambian football piramid for women.
Champions of the first season was Luyando in the South Zone and Police Blue Eagles in the North Zone.
Serving as the third tier of Zambian female football is leagues divided by provinces. Earlier the top tier was organised like this but with the introduction of the Super division and National division one League, the regional football is feeding the nationalwide tiers.