Dossi crosses the touchline
Back in the days a football analyst came on the scene and gave post-match sports reports on Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) a breath of fresh air and signed off with a catchy tagline “this is your Man on the Touchline”.
This was none other than Moses Dossi, then a marketer, but later became British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) sports correspondent, Chikwawa West legslator and Cabinet minister in the Bakili Muluzi administration.
Yesterday, Dossi breathed his last at Blantyre Adventist Hospital, aged 70 and the football fraternity is celebrating his life with befitting tributes for a man who brightened up sports in various capacities.
The former football commentator and marketer worked for PTC and Malawi Distilleries, but for decades was also a correspondent for public broadcaster MBC and BBC.
Dossi inspired several up-and-coming sports journalists.
Reacting to news of his death, veteran sports analyst Charles Nyirenda said Dossi leaves behind a legacy unequalled by any other sports journalist in the country.
He said: “I got to know Dossi in 1997 as a very humble man when he was a football commentator. I went on to work with him for many years and learned a lot from him.”
In 2004, he spearheaded a Malawi and Zambia joint bid for hosting the Africa Cup of Nations.
Said Nyirenda: “Although the bid was not successful, you can see that he was very brave, result oriented, patriotic and put national interests first. I think he lived
well ahead of his time.”
Football Association of Malawi (FAM) president Fleetwood Haiya also paid tribute to Dossi, who is father to the association’s executive member Felister Dossi.
He said: “I am deeply saddened and shocked to learn of the passing of Mr Moses Dossi Senior.
“To the football fraternity Mr Dossi Senior, who was popularly known as ‘Man on the Touchline’, was a pillar and an asset to Malawi football because of his immense contribution to the game through his reportage, commentary and analysis.
“Through his pen and microphone, Mr Dossi Senior set the pace to develop Malawi football by giving it a positive coverage that helped lift the quality of the game in Malawi.
“We shall always remember Mr Dossi Senior as a humble, patriotic, wise and passionate football enthusiast and media professional who dedicated his life to raising the standards of football in Malawi and sports in general.”
MBC football commentator Patrick Simango said he was one of the finest sports personalities.
“He had passion for sport as a journalist, author, and administrator. Good with the voice, pen, exciting with sharp voice when reporting or doing sports commentory. His contribution to sports is indelible,” he said.
Dossi owned the defunct Freekick Magazine, one of the pioneering sports publications and also authored his memoir, Football in Malawi: A Way of Life, published by Popular Publications in 1992.
After retiring from active reporting, Dossi ventured into politics and in 1999 was elected Chikwawa West legislstor on a United Democratic Front ticket.
The same year, former President Bakili Muluzi appointed him deputy minister of Education, Sports and Culture.
In 2000, he was elevated to head the newly-created Ministry of Sports and Culture, a portfolio he held for three years.
Soon after his appointment, Dossi unveiled plans to visit the United Kingdom to lure the English FA as well as clubs such as Manchester United, Arsenal, Leeds United and Liverpool to support football development in the country.
During his visit, he proposed to meet top players such as David Beckham, Andy Cole and Allan Shearer as well as Man United manager Sir Alex Ferguson.
Dossi, who also served as Council of Ministers of Supreme Council of Sports Zone VI chairperson in 2004, lobbied the government in vain to construct a modern sports complex and stadium in Lilongwe.
In his quest to woo investors, Dossi in 2005 wrote the then Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovich and Sultan of Brunei Haji Hassanal Bolkiah to follow up on a promise he made to him when he was minister to build his dream stadium in Lilongwe.
In 2005, Dossi travelled to the UK where he held a 10-mile big walk in London to raise funds for the hunger crisis that hit the country.
According to a funeral programme, the mass will be celebrated today at St Pius Catholic Church from 9am while burial will take place tomorrow at his home, Kalimanjira Village in Traditional Authority Chapananga in Chikwawa. n
