Blame it on Manganya
The silence inside the Kamuzu Stadium spoke volumes about the emotional trauma that was crushing the spirits of everyone in the stands.
The clock was not lying and, as true as the fact that this was a winter afternoon in the commercial city, there was only a minute or so in injury time remaining, and then the sky fell on the Flames—midfield workhorse Chimango ‘Blackberry’ Kayira headed the ball into his own net, it was all simple and as soft as the cheeks of a newly-born baby.
But while Chimango might have wanted the ground to open up and swallow him, you certainly cannot blame the fella. The chaps were told to score as many goals as they could and what with the K50 000 that renowned comedian Manganya dangled for the other subsequent goals?
Manganya did not specify that the Flames had to score only in opponent’s goal and, yes, Chimango did it to perfection. Well, it was not only Chimango who sang blues, my friend Charles Kasomekera also saw red.
On Wednesday morning, he hatched a plan, a brilliant one, to enable him skip work and watch the Kenya game later in the afternoon. He tricked his boss that he had developed fever and suspected malaria. To make his case, he was even ‘shivering.’
But alas! In a flash, his trick backfired terribly. Poor Charlie unsuspectingly bumped into his boss at MBC Stand as he jumped up-and-down while blowing his vuvuzela as he cheered the Flames. He is expected to appear before a disciplinary hearing at his workplace for feigning illness. They were not the only ones, hundreds of frustrated fans chanted: ‘Aluvela akutipweteka!’ (The K1 000 entry fee is going down the drain).
And my fella Stonard Galeta summed it up by saying while the draw was a disappointing result, “Koma kutsogolo anapanga approve mpaka kuchinya ziwiri.” He meant to say ‘improve’ lo!
Perhaps the solace is that it is still in our hands, although it will be a tall order. Brazil 2014 here we come? Kudzichinya kwake kumeneku…iiii kaya! Glory be to God! Uloliwe… Uloliwe wayidudula hi..Nang’esiza! (The train is pushing!).
