Bekeshu or kwasa-kwasa?

The taunts came from everywhere after Be Forward Wanderers and Masters Security came back with a deluge of goals from their respective tours of duty in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Angola where they collectively lost 9-0.

In the heat of the taunts, there was a ‘plea’ that the two teams should be made to pay excise duty by Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) on arrival at Kamuzu International Airport (KIA) for the tonnes and loads of goals they brought into the country.

And, expectedly, being the big team, it was the Nomads that suffered most of the humiliation on social media with some taunting that instead of the usual ‘foro-foro’ jazz, minibus conductors and touts were simply shouting ‘vita-vita mpando wakumbuyoko!’ in reference to the Nomads’ 4-0 humiliation to AS Vita in Kinshasa. And others even had the cheek to mock the Nomads that they were made to dance kwasa-kwasa and ndombolo—which are DRC’s popular jives.

But to their credit, both teams kept their cool and while Masters appear to have surrendered ahead of their return leg against Petro Atletico this afternoon, on the other hand, the Nomads believe in cold comfort that they can turn the tables tomorrow. The Nomads are drawing inspiration from Barcelona , who after losing 4-0 to PSG in the first leg tie of the Uefa Champions League last year, turned the tables in the return leg.

And so even though Barca are miles ahead in terms of class and stature, the Nomads can still be given the benefit of the doubt.  It is such never-say-die spirit and self belief which enables real teams to rise from the ashes when the odds are heavily stacked against them. Belief brings confidence and this, in turn, nurtures success. So, maybe the Nomads can be given the benefit of the doubt. Maybe they can perform their bekeshu jive tomorrow. Uloliwe, uloliwe wayidudula, neng’esiza hah! (Oh yes, the train is pushing.) Glory be to God.