The ceiling of hope has dropped so low for most Malawian football fans that they no longer count on the Malawi National Football Team, also known as the Flames, which is fast being reduced to ashes.
Just recently, the so called Flames went out on a supposedly suicidal mission when they thought, in their wildest dreams, that they would beat Tunisia, right at the latter’s backyard.
It was a fruitless, and futile, dream, as the team, whose players were walking shoulder high on the way to Tunisia, came back crouched like a tender reed. I mean, I could not believe it when players and officials walked shoulder high at the airport—on their way to Tunisia—when the truth, the painful truth, is that they were outplayed right at home, at Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe, when they hosted Namibia.
Maybe they thought they were being powered by some olden force. Of course, that past force is history. In the days that are dead and buried, the Namibia National Football Team was no match for the Flames. Whenever the senior Malawi National Football Team was put in the same group as Namibia, we all knew how things would pan out; the Flames would emerge victors. In those days, I believe Namibia players could shake in the knees whenever they heard the name the Flames. Alas! Today’s story is different.
The Flames have become Namibia’s punchbags. Truth be told, the Flames are, even on foreign football grounds with hostile fans, embarrassingly hospitable.
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I mean, they treat players who ply their trade in Europe— say in England, Spain, Italy, Germany and France—with utmost respect that they would rather worship their ‘heroes’ right there on the pitch than die for Mother Malawi. I could be wrong but that is the feeling I get.
No wonder, some players are seen scrambling for the jersey of a foreign player they ‘worship’ instead of reflecting on their often miserable performances.
Anyway, I am not surprised with the turn of events now; I mean the Flames metamorphosis from a believable side to punchbags. I mean, what else would we hope for, except trouble, when some football administrators are busy politicking instead of doing their job; that is, running football.
What do we have to expect when some football administrators, probably believing that they are football itself and football is them, are so busy consolidating power that they are forgetting that they are not supposed to be dictators but administrators of the beautiful game we call football.
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As a result, the herbivore called controversy is grazing near football pitches and football bodies’ headquarters, safe in the knowledge that, sooner rather than later, problems will sprout in Malawi football.
And, talking about problems, they [problems] have started rearing their ugly face in Malawi football again, the recent example being the handling of elections for one of the Football Association of Malawi (Fam)’s affiliates.
I am sure that, sooner or later, the truth will come out. I mean, the truth—as defined by the Fam affiliate’s own constitution as opposed to truth in accordance with one’s ego or emotions. For now, though, Fam seems to be getting most things wrong.
I do not want to talk about the recently unveiled Flames jerseys or the handling of elections. That is obvious. In fact, I do not have space for Fam’s escapades today. So, goodbye for now.
