Spare a thought for Manoma
“Neba, mutu sukugwira!” These were chants from ganyu fans who were floating on air as they taunted Be Forward Wanderers after they were booted out of the Fisd Challenge Cup by Moyale Barracks in Mzuzu last week.
The Nomads appeared bemused and out of place as they left the pitch with heads down in disappointment.
When Wanderers staged a stunning comeback by coming from two goals to beat the Kaning’ina Lions 3-2 in the semis of the Airtel Top 8, they taunted the soldiers by imitating their parade display, but as the saying goes, nkhonya yobwezera imawawa (revenge is sour), Moyale had the last laugh and retaliated by performing the Nomads’ traditional bekeshu jive as Mzuzu Stadium danced to their tune.
It has been a rough ride for the Lali Lubani Road outfit in cup competitions as they also failed to live to their legacy of winning inaugural tournaments when they lost to Silver Strikers in the finals of the Airtel Top 8 through post-match penalties earlier this year, the defeat coming after they had already booked an open top bus for a cup parade that never was.
The situation took the turn for the worse when they failed to defend the Carlsberg Cup after losing to their age-old rivals Nyasa Big Bullets, again through post-match penalties.
And now their trophy shelf at their club house is literally empty and has turned into a playground for cockroaches. Sadly, all you see are spiderwebs (akangawude). Akugwira magobo manoma. But maybe, just maybe, they can take comfort in their TNM Super League good run in which they are on the driving seat, but then they have Silver and Bullets breathing down their necks. Uloliwe, uloliwe wayidudula, neng’siza hah! (Oh yes, the train is pushing). Glory be to God.
