Derby mood activated
Every ardent soccer fan revels in derbies because they are competitive and feisty. If it is not the players cracking up in adrenalin overburn then it is the supporters dressed up in their crazy outfits, cheering their team in shrill-rooftop voices while hauling profanities at the opposition. It is all part of the game.
However, lately, local derbies have not lived up to expectations. The football standards have wallowed down. It’s Bullets versus Wanderers in Blantyre and struggling Oscar Kaunda’s Civo against the Bankers, Silver Strikers, in Lilongwe, but there is hardly any pre-match hype. In those days, you knew about the derby not through the press, but by the buzz generated from the hype of the match and that would start weeks before the match day. In those days, discussions in offices, minibuses, schools and among vendors were dominated by derby matters.
A few years ago, an expatriate coach who was left unimpressed by the Blantyre derby did not hide his disaffection. He told the press that the derby was a dull affair and that there was not a single player impressive enough to be considered for national team duties.
I am aware though that this is not just a derby but a top-of-the-table clash between two opponents that have started the season with strong intentions to win the league. I, therefore, hope that today fans will be treated to one of the best derbies in years.
Bullets are unbeaten at the top of the table and come into the match with a lot of confidence. However, Nomads although they tasted defeat at home last week at the hands of Silver Strikers, are a different team this season.
Elia Kananji has transformed the Lali Luban outfit. Although they have bought more players than any other team in the league, the new comers have gelled quickly. The departure of Cameroonian Asu will not be felt as Nomads have more firepower upfront.
At talking of Asu, why did Nomads sign this player if they knew they would not be able to fulfill their obligations. It is sad that Nomads appear to be in turmoil administratively at a time when they have a sponsor. I thought now that they have a sponsor, their troubles would be minimised. I am humbled to learn from the Nomads experience that money cannot solve all your problems. You need to use your brain more for the money to change your life!
I also hope that the match will not be marred by ugly scenes of violence. Stakeholders have asked Sulom to take proactive actions towards curbing violence at football matches. However, it appears all these appeals are falling on deaf ears.
To avoid pandemonium at the gates, a clear recipe for violence, is to start selling tickets way before the match-day. But as of Thursday, there were no tickets available for the derby match. Instead, Sulom were busy apologising that a South Africa firm they had hired for the job had failed to deliver on time and were now producing the tickets here at home.
The question is: How long did Sulom know about this fixture? When did they realise that a local firm could produce the tickets? This is a lame excuse and symptomatic of an organisation that operates on impulses. n
