Call it China sightseeing

I beg to differ with the powers that be that the impending trip to China by some of our football players will help the Flames tune up for the forthcoming Africa Cup of Nations and World Cup qualifiers. That the Malawi side has changed tune—given that foreign-based players will not be available—to make the trip sound beneficial is not surprising. Where I come from elders warn that zaulere zilibe ulemu (beggers are not choosers). That aside, the bigger picture remains that here yet again Malawi is preparing the Flames to fail in the competitions ahead. In the absence of a clear strategic plan for the Flames, what better justification could we have expected than that the trip will offer local players a chance to prove their worth against foreign-based regulars? So, it’s chagwa mbale ndi ndiwo (anything goes)—no one thinks about a concrete Flames winning strategy. But the Chinese are very understanding people, which is why I wonder if after their wish to host the Flames, we told them that we could only get the best from the trip if we sent a full squad. Otherwise, tuning up with a weak team is as good as to go sightseeing in China.