Sport Perspective: Tired legs resurface
I begin to ask myself whether this bunch of talentless players, masquerading as the Flames, is worth calling them professionals or just foreign-based players.
Wounds are still festering after these talentless players were clobbered 1-2 in Blantyre to dash our high hopes of qualifying for 2017 Africa Cup of Nations finals in Gabon.
In front of the patriotic crowd they had no remorse; they showcased a hopeless performance that left fans weeping and gnashing their teeth at Kamuzu Stadium.
To be brutally honest, in my career as a sports journalist, I have never seen the Flames displaying such a lousy performance.
It would appear there was a faction of players that was not interested in playing for the coach despite wasting our precious time and resources, including that of the prophet, airlifting them from their respective bases.
Possibly, Malawi is the only country that can afford to call such a hopeless bunch of players professionals just because they play their football somewhere in a bushy city in the neighbouring country.
By international standards, a professional player must make a difference when he features for his country. A professional player must feel proud to wear the national colours. Above all, a professional player must be ready to fight for his country, but these attributes lacked on Saturday among our pampered stars.
Much as some people would want to blame the goalkeeper for the two goals, television replays show that the defence was useless and it completed the circle of circus that characterised our football on that day.
The defence failed to cover the goalkeeper on both occasions.
Our midfield, whether by design or sheer coincidence, looked rugged and confused, and it possibly forgot that results are the ultimate barometer to measure progress in a game of football.
The midfield had experienced players that needed to provide the leadership and artistry to the team, but instead it was clueless.
Possibly, this is why Ernest Mtawali decided to stick to the bulk of his Under-20 charges when he took over the mantle.
But in a country where everybody, even bankers and teachers, is a football analyst, we pressed him to revert to those old scrappy legs.
To imagine than with such a lack of charisma and character, the Flames would dethrone a power house like Guinea, who are Chan runners -up , was a far-fetched dream.
Amid that volcanic fury, some wayward supporters think firing coach Ernest Mtawali is a solution, but I choose to differ. All what the coach needs is a long-term contract to build a youthful team to take over from these tired legs that have outlived their usefulness.
Some critics have even questioned the credentials of coach Mtawali, claiming he is always found wanting when it comes to the big stage on the continent, but I feel this is unfair considering that he inherited a team that had no spine.
Wielding the axe on the coach, when he is showing a lot of potential, is total madness.
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