Fam boss dances for Flames players
Football Association of Malawi (Fam) President Walter Nyamilandu has said he is enjoying doubling roles as de facto Malawi National Football Team chief supporter.
Nyamilandu joined the handful Flames supporters in the stands at Orlando Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa, in chanting praises of the team which edged Mozambique 1-0 in a 2022 World Cup qualifier.
After the match, Nyamilandu followed the players to the dressing room where he danced for them in a frenzy that came in the wake of the win.
The Fam boss said he feels compelled to take up the chief supporter’s role to cover up for the absence of Flames’ fans at stadia due to the Covid pandemic.
“I am always passionate about what I do. I wear my heart on my sleeves. It is vital that leaders must lead by example. This job requires a hands-on approach and one must be prepared to go into the trenches to get things done.
“I want to galvanise the fans to rally behind the players and to be proud of our country. It is a demonstration that we, as leaders, should not remain aloof when things are not going according to plan. We must have an open door policy to associate with everyone in order to get results,” he said.
Nyamilandu described the dance as a victory celebration to honour the Lord for what he had done to the Flames.
“We prayed that morning for the Lord to turn around our situation and we got an overwhelming response with a top-class performance. I preached a sermon to the players on the rejected stone being turned into a cornerstone from Psalms 118. I was very happy for the lads. They deserve the best despite the insults that we get from our critics,” he said.
Nyamilandu said he is on a campaign titled Push, an acronym for Possession, United, Speed and Hustle.
“The motive is to have warriors on the field of play so that they have mental strength to endure and conquer. This has proved to be very successful in rugby. Very soon, the players will be chanting a warrior cry before matches,” he said.
Flames coach Meck Mwase said they were under pressure after starting the qualifiers with a 2-0 loss to Cameroon on Friday.
“A lot was said after we lost in Cameroon but the boys did their best. We are now looking forward to our next assignment against Ivory Coast next month,” Mwase said.
Flames captain Limbikani Mzava said the win makes them confident of doing well against Ivory Coast.
“I know that some quarters did not give us a chance but we agreed to prove them wrong. The victory is a sigh of relief to all of us and we are hopeful that we will continue from where we have stopped,” Mzava said.
The Flames returned home Wednesday.
