[FM24] Zambian league system [WIP]

[BeeInExile]

Hi,

My fellow Zambia Assistant Researcher @StanBoy11 has created this rather nifty file that enables the Zambian league system. It features the top two national leagues, as well as between three and five regional leagues per province below that, as well as the ABSA Cup and Charity Shield. So if you've ever wanted to try out a save in Africa, why not give it a try? We'd love to know what you think.

 

If you'd like to know more about football in Zambia and why you might want to start a save there, why not check out a post I did on the forums about that?

Zambia (D5) - by Stan.fmf

Edited December 2, 2023 by BeeInExile
Added link to Zambia league post

[BeeInExile]

Updated version that apparently improves Finances.

Zambia (D5) - by Stan.fmf

[Kovacevic]

Thanks, being able to run Zambia as an active league is helping have a more realistic career in other African countries too.

[Jorgen]

On 17/11/2023 at 18:25, BeeInExile said:

Hi,

My fellow Zambia Assistant Researcher @StanBoy11 has created this rather nifty file that enables the Zambian league system. It features the top two national leagues, as well as between three and five regional leagues per province below that, as well as the ABSA Cup and Charity Shield. So if you've ever wanted to try out a save in Africa, why not give it a try? We'd love to know what you think.

Zambia (D5) - by Stan.fmf 84.85 kB · 31 downloads

In your other topic you wrote an excellent summary of why we should play in Zambia. Perhaps add that info to this topic too, so everyone can read it.

[BeeInExile]

10 minutes ago, Jorgen said:

In your other topic you wrote an excellent summary of why we should play in Zambia. Perhaps add that info to this topic too, so everyone can read it.

Good idea! I've added it.

[Vakama2619]

Will this be updated for 24.3 or 24.4 when it drops?

[StanBoy11]

Yes I will, I will surely upload the 24.4 Update. I would've uploaded the 24.3 one after seeing that you've asked now but a new Cup format was announced this month a few days before it kicked off so that's what I am working on right now.

Edited March 26 by StanBoy11

[StanBoy11]

There it is for 24.3.0. I managed to update the Cup new format too. I will upload for 24.4.0 too as soon as I can when the update is released. I have also added the COSAFA Cup and COSAFA Cup U-20  tournaments to add to the experience as they’re not included in the default game 

Zambia (D5) - by Stan (24.3.0).fmf

COSAFA - by Stan.fmf

Edited March 28 by StanBoy11
Cosafa Cup inclusion

[Vakama2619]

Thank you!

[StanBoy11]

Final Update

 

 

Zambia (D5) - by Stan (24.4.0).fmf

 

COSAFA - by Stan.fmf

Edited April 22 by StanBoy11
Added Files

[JAwtunes]

@BeeInExile @StanBoy11 Are there any nations you would recommend are set as playable to allow realistic transfers/loans into and out of Zambia?  Maybe Zimbabwe? any others?  I normally check Transfer Flows on Transfermarkt, but can't find anything for the Zambia league. Thanks.

[StanBoy11]

5 hours ago, JAwtunes said:

@BeeInExile @StanBoy11 Are there any nations you would recommend are set as playable to allow realistic transfers/loans into and out of Zambia?  Maybe Zimbabwe? any others?  I normally check Transfer Flows on Transfermarkt, but can't find anything for the Zambia league. Thanks.

For transfers and loans I would add DR Congo and Tanzania as playable. Those 2 do transfers at least in the game and in real life too. I would’ve said South Africa too as it happens in real life but not really in the game for various reasons like the players are highly rated compared to the ones in Zambia.
 

You can add a few European/Middle Eastern leagues too for the transfers of your wonderkids. Not very specific here again as only highly rated youngsters are signed by European/Middle Eastern clubs in the game and I haven’t really noticed a specific nation signing them more occasionally so you can chose any European leagues but the the top 5 leagues would be less frequent in signing players. 
 

I hope this helps and that you enjoy your save in Zambia too. Have a wonderful day!

Edited May 2 by StanBoy11

[BeeInExile]

I'd agree with @StanBoy11 - South Africa and Tanzania are the main destinations in Africa, and DRC is both the main place where Zambian teams buy their foreigners, as well as where some of the best Zambian players go and play (particularly TP Mazembe historically, which is just across the border), so I'd definitely try to add that too. You might want to add in Malawi and Zimbabwe for the flavour, and some of their players come to Zambia (but not all that many) but Zambians very seldom go and play in those countries.

If you're specifically managing Kafue Celtic, I'd recommend adding Mali and Georgia, since that's where their affiliate clubs are based. But otherwise Georgia's not needed, and Mali would just be to flesh out the world. Until recently a few Zambians went to Israel on short-term deals because the superagent in Zambia is Israeli, but I don't think the game emulates that well so I wouldn't say it's particularly important.

If you're trying to do an African save, I'd definitely add in France and Portugal so they buy players from Africa and bring more money into the continent, although they seldom buy Zambians. Cagliari have bought a couple of players from Atletico Lusaka in the past, and Lameck Banda is at Lecce, so I suppose Italy might be an option too, although again it's quite slim pickings.

RB Salzburg bought Patson Daka and Enock Mwepu to Europe, so I'd also be tempted to add Austria (also it has lax registration rules so again, more demand for your players).

But yeah Stan's right that European leagues don't sign enough players from Africa in the game (and in fact I've logged bug reports about it).

Edited May 4 by BeeInExile

[JAwtunes]

@StanBoy11 @BeeInExile thank so much for your replies, theyre excellent!

I always take ages to pick a team and seem to have settled on Lusaka Dynamo after they get promoted from the Lower League and into the Luaska provincial division 3 at the end of the first season.  Sorry to bug you, but I have a few questions specifically about this team.  Feel free to pm me if you would rather do that and keep this thread tidy!

1. They seem to have competed in the top flight until recently.  What has happened to them?

2. They have a youth/B team (I think) set as an affiliate in the Lusaka provincial division 1, so 3 divisions higher.  Is this correct?  I note you say B teams can complete in the same division, but it seems a little odd that this affiliate is in a higher division.

One final thing that is more related to the challenge I have played for a few years... I am only seeing four teams being promoted from the lower league and into the 2 provincial division 3s at the and of the first season, and its always the same clubs.  Is this correct, as its different to later seasons when 8 teams go up (matching rules in game).

[StanBoy11]

 

29 minutes ago, JAwtunes said:

@StanBoy11 @BeeInExile thank so much for your replies, theyre excellent!

I always take ages to pick a team and seem to have settled on Lusaka Dynamo after they get promoted from the Lower League and into the Luaska provincial division 3 at the end of the first season.  Sorry to bug you, but I have a few questions specifically about this team.  Feel free to pm me if you would rather do that and keep this thread tidy!

1. They seem to have competed in the top flight until recently.  What has happened to them?

2. They have a youth/B team (I think) set as an affiliate in the Lusaka provincial division 1, so 3 divisions higher.  Is this correct?  I note you say B teams can complete in the same division, but it seems a little odd that this affiliate is in a higher division.

One final thing that is more related to the challenge I have played for a few years... I am only seeing four teams being promoted from the lower league and into the 2 provincial division 3s at the and of the first season, and its always the same clubs.  Is this correct, as its different to later seasons when 8 teams go up (matching rules in game).

1. Well Lusaka Dynamos are a Club that are in debt, struggling financially and are even currently serving a FIFA transfer ban (mainly due unpaid transfer fees, unpaid players etc.). The Zambian FA has also suspended them from participating from the Top Flight division and it was also rumored in the 2023 pre-season period that the club might go into liquidation. @BeeInExile knows more about their situation and will be able to explain it further if you like.

2. Yes, Young Lusaka Dynamos is currently playing in Lusaka Division 1. But what I think now is that actually could be the 'new' Lusaka Dynamos main team but I guess they didn't change their name/registration before the league kicked off, because up until today it is still Young Lusaka Dynamos (even now battling for relegation survival) and as of what I know Lusaka Dynamos are currently not participating in any league. In Zambia affiliates actually participate in the same divisions as parent clubs but I the editor is bugged/hardcoded and created affiliates can't participate in the same league as the main team.

3. It should be 8 teams in total getting promoted so I actually find that strange that only 4 get promoted in the first season, I'll try look in the editor to see if there's something not right. And on it been the same teams, what I noticed is that when a league is inactive usually the teams with highest reputations get promoted. I'm not sure if it's all inactive leagues but I have witnessed that enough times.

Edited May 4 by StanBoy11

[Vakama2619]

How many teams do you have unplayable? I swear I checked a while ago and there was only 4 to begin with

[StanBoy11]

3 hours ago, Vakama2619 said:

How many teams do you have unplayable? I swear I checked a while ago and there was only 4 to begin with

I don’t understand what you mean by teams unplayable. Do you mean like the teams in the unplayable division? If you do they should be 28.

[BeeInExile]

On 04/05/2024 at 14:16, StanBoy11 said:

 

1. Well Lusaka Dynamos are a Club that are in debt, struggling financially and are even currently serving a FIFA transfer ban (mainly due unpaid transfer fees, unpaid players etc.). The Zambian FA has also suspended them from participating from the Top Flight division and it was also rumored in the 2023 pre-season period that the club might go into liquidation. @BeeInExile knows more about their situation and will be able to explain it further if you like.

2. Yes, Young Lusaka Dynamos is currently playing in Lusaka Division 1. But what I think now is that actually could be the 'new' Lusaka Dynamos main team but I guess they didn't change their name/registration before the league kicked off, because up until today it is still Young Lusaka Dynamos (even now battling for relegation survival) and as of what I know Lusaka Dynamos are currently not participating in any league. In Zambia affiliates actually participate in the same divisions as parent clubs but I the editor is bugged/hardcoded and created affiliates can't participate in the same league as the main team.

3. It should be 8 teams in total getting promoted so I actually find that strange that only 4 get promoted in the first season, I'll try look in the editor to see if there's something not right. And on it been the same teams, what I noticed is that when a league is inactive usually the teams with highest reputations get promoted. I'm not sure if it's all inactive leagues but I have witnessed that enough times.

To be perfectly candid, it's hard to find out much of what's going on with Lusaka Dynamos right now. @StanBoy11's covered the main points. We'll have to see whether they still exist next season, but as you've found out, "Young Lusaka Dynamos" is the team who are still participating in competitions. Usually with a name like that they would be the B team of Lusaka Dynamos, in basically the same way that Barcelona B are the B team of Barcelona. The fact that they're competing but the senior team does not seem to be is weird.

 

If you want to know more about Lusaka Dynamos in general, I would recommend this interview on YouTube that Hanif Adams did a couple of years ago. Some of the questioning is a bit weird though - you may also want to read this as background http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/africa/7262763.stm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBAE9ZvBI2c

 

[Jorgen]

@BeeInExile @StanBoy11 Is it a known issue that I cannot select divisions at game setup? If I set Zambia as a playable league, I only get a greyed out dropdownmenu which is not clickable.

but, when in game, all those leagues are loaded.

This happens at game setups with and without other editor files.

 

 

 

Edited May 12 by Jorgen

[StanBoy11]

2 minutes ago, Jorgen said:

@BeeInExile @StanBoy11 Is it a known issue that I cannot select divisions at game setup? If I set Zambia as a playable league, I only get a greyed out dropdownmenu which is not clickable.

but, when in game, all those leagues are loaded.

This happens at game setups with and without other editor files.

 

Well yes it is.. now was because I actually managed to fix it a few days ago and here is the new file. The editor's advanced rules are still something I'm not 100% great at. I also made Zambia Lower Divisions available as a playable league because of the issue raised by @Vakama2619 that only 4 teams where getting promoted from it instead of 8, but I myself never experienced or maybe noticed it. 

Zambia (D5) - by Stan (24.4.0).fmf

[Jorgen]

1 minute ago, StanBoy11 said:

Well yes it is.. now was because I actually managed to fix it a few days ago and here is the new file. The editor's advanced rules are still something I'm not 100% great at. I also made Zambia Lower Divisions available as a playable league because of the issue raised by @Vakama2619 that only 4 teams where getting promoted from it instead of 8, but I myself never experienced or maybe noticed it. 

Zambia (D5) - by Stan (24.4.0).fmf 116.55 kB · 0 downloads

Thank you Stan. This fixed the issue 😊😊👍🏻