It is the same old disappointing story for the Flames and maybe, the only difference this time is that they displayed a sluggish performance on SuperSport TV channels 4 and 9 on that fateful last Sunday afternoon.
The recent 0-3 drubbing of 20 people masquerading as footballers, by Zimbabwe Warriors last weekend, did not come as a surprise to some of us who have been following the progress of Malawi football for over two decades.
We have been seeing the Flames falling back into bad habits with lopsided displays even at home, the reality which makes really hard and disappointing for any patriotic Malawian to believe in.
However, the fact of the matter remains that Malawi national soccer team is a perennial underachiever when it comes to regional and continental competitions.
Since the dawn of multiparty democracy in 1994, Malawi government has stopped investing in sport and there are no proper structures to develop our athletes and these are the ripple effects.
Malawi can no longer produce players who can withstand the heat mentally and physically during international games but we still join the competitions hoping that miracles would happen and we will do well.
No wonder we have had such disastrous scenarios because it was like these young men were doing their apprenticeship, at such a ripe age, using the Flames as a learning curve.
Even at home, playing against the same Warriors, we didn’t fare any better and conceded another two goals, in a humiliating 1-2 whipping and we foolishly thought we could turn tables in Harare.
Others thought that replacing young Silver Striker’s keeper Brighton Munthali with old-timer Charles Swini, was a perfect magic to win in Zimbabwe but there were in for a deep shock.
The tired and exhausted Swini, who could not even make it in Times Group social team, did not give vintage goalkeeping exhibition and ultimately, he could not inspire the Flames to the victory they needed.
That is the price you pay when you have a government that is so blind that it can’t see any value in promoting sport from grassroots.
It is sad that most Malawians want positive results from the team forgetting that there is no political will to promote the sport in the country, all what we hear is political rhetoric from powers that be and are drunk with Cashgate money.
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