Malawi football fraternity needs to reflect on results of the Flames at the ongoing Cosafa Castle Cup in Namibia where they have been bundled out by lightweights Lesotho, the team that last beat us 37 years ago in a friendly game.
There are people who forget that the route to success lies in hard work, rigorous transformation and self-discipline.
Some forces in this country, which others call Malawi when we call it home, fail to appreciate the importance of pruning the old and tired legs and giving a chance to up and coming players to feature for the Flames.
These are the forces that are still dragging us deep into football darkness and madness and they have left us in utter confusion and disgrace.
It is unbelievable that a country, which our forefathers nicknamed the Warm Heart of Africa, was affiliated to Fifa in 1968, qualified for the Africa Nations Cup finals twice—in 1984 and 2010 and won bronze at the All Africa Games in Kenya in 1987, can stoop so low and be beaten by a team from poor and dilapidated kingdom like Lesotho.
Makosana? If we can’t beat a team like Lesotho who else do we expect to beat in this region of Africa? Are we really serious with our football?
Does someone out there realize the pain we endure when this team that sometimes masquerade as the Flames, break our hearts?
I have to salute the path Angolans have taken of opting to invest in the Under-20 side which our so called pampered experienced team struggled to beat. That is how bad we have become.
Promoting youngsters is the path Flames coach Ernest Mtawali took when he took over the mantle last year, but he was stopped in his tracks. We must feel ashamed as a nation to continue trusting in talentless old legs.
The shame we have endured in Namibia is a product of the broken nation whose government lost interest in sports long time ago.
For football, as well as entire the sports to develop, needs political will than mere rhetoric from overzealous politicians who are drunk with power and want to use constituency trophies as a launch pad to tighten their grip to power.
Government needs to overhaul its sports policy and show seriousness in the way it transacts in sport portfolio.
Thinking that young age is the right qualification to be appointed a sports minister is unheard of and counterproductive. On that position, we need people who are strategic and focused.
It is high time we developed a team because even if we change coaches those that will come would still pick the same old tired legs, who have nothing to offer except rotten attitude towards coaches.
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