Blessings Mkanda
According to one Blessings Mkanda, some football players quit the sport in their prime ages after being frustrated by administrators.
Mkanda retired from active football in 2008 on monetary grounds.
The 28-year-old Blantyre resident played as a right winger for Big Bullets from 2001-2004 and Tigers FC in 2005 before making a solo effort to play for a Mozambican Second Division side Pernado de Angonia in 2006.
He returned to Tigers and completed his career in 2008.
However, his frustrations with football clubs started in Mozambique where he was not paid a salary and game bonuses for three months.
“I left a lot of money at the Mozambican club. They were playing hide-and-seek with my pay and game bonuses for three months. I later decided to return home. The team was also reluctant to let me go for some lucrative deals with other Mozambican clubs that sought my services,†said Mkanda.
However, his return home did not help matters, either, as he claimed that he also faced some financial hardships at Tigers.
“After we won the 2008 Standard Bank Cup against Civo United at Silver Stadium, I felt cheated on how the prize money was shared,†he said.
Mkanda was identified by former Bullets coach Gilbert Chirwa at Katoto Secondary School ground in Mzuzu in 2001 when he played for Chintheche CDSS in the Coca-Cola Schools Championships regional finals.
He plans to join Blantyre United next season, but he is currently rebuilding his form at Nyasa United.
