If I were FAM

When I questioned FAM on the rationale of opting to forgo this year’s Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup for the Cosafa Cup, the explanation was as unconvincing as it was lame.

In FAM chief executive officer Suzgo Nyirenda’s words, the Flames’ Cecafa Cup participation would put a strain on the harmonised calendar and there is no money to meet the Flames’ local training expenses for such an event.

If that was a lame excuse then what followed was outright ridiculous.

Nyirenda dismissed talk that Cecafa is fully funded on the premise that they provide return air tickets for 20 people only and that they do not meet expenses for local camping.

So the beggar that is FAM even expects Nicholas Musonye to foot the Flames’ bills at Chiwembe Technical Centre? We are in big trouble.

If Nyirenda at least attempted to explain, FAM president Walter Nyamilandu chose to say the obvious that the Flames’ allegiance is to Cosafa and that participation in Cecafa is by invitation and that even if invited, participation would not be automatic.

Forgoing a Cecafa competition that guarantees the Flames three preliminary round games for a [knock-out] Cosafa Cup quarter-final, is in every sense of the word a gamble.

Maybe I should have known that this is FAM, an arch enemy of long-term planning. No serious association can plan for Cosafa Cup as nothing is guaranteed with this southern Africa regional football showpiece.

You would expect FAM to know pretty well that it is banking on a competition that might,  after all, see the Flames returning home after just one game against Zimbabwe on June 13 2013.

You would think FAM would know that unlike Cecafa, there is no guarantee that Cosafa Cup, which last took place three years ago, would be back next year.

In fact, Cosafa is back at its confusion best with speculation that there would be no prize money to fight for. Little wonder most are sending to Zambia developmental teams.

What it means is that unlike at the Cecafa Cup where the event is revered as a World Cup finals, in Zambia the Flames would be up against amateurs.

In contrast, Cecafa Cup guarantees prize money and certainty on its calendar. If I were FAM, going for both cups and even sponsoring future Cecafa participation would have been logical.

But then, to quote the ‘If I were’ grandmaster Garry Chirwa, I am not and will never be FAM.