End of an era

After 19 years, the Football Association of Malawi (FAM) president, Walter Nyamilandu today ceded power.

It was some humbling end as Super League of Malawi (Sulom) president defeated him 23-13 on a tellingly tense day in Mzuzu.

The outgoing president had it easy in previous elections.

Not any more.

Haiya went hard and fast on the former Flames defender, beating him during nominations and in the election.

Mzuzu Hotel, turned into a theatre of emotions. As results for other positions filtered in, Nyamilandu looked lost as he was persistently swept away by his own sweat, forcing him to wobblingly wipe his face.

It was understandable. The man was witnessing an electoral slaughter against his camp.

James Mwenda, his on-and-off right hand man lost to Christopher Kuyera in a battle for the Vice President to replace Jabber Alide while the then incumbent Othaniel Hara fell to Lameck Khonje in the second vice presidency showdown.

Nyamilandu’s life at FAM is a chronicle of both success and failure. On development front, he scored impressively as he oversaw the construction of Mpira franchise, a sporty village in Blantyre which houses a mini-stadium, hotel and FAM offices.

He also drew into football a host of sponsors for club competitions and the Flames, ending a terribly dry period in middle 2000s when local football was nearly bankrupt amidst sponsors exodus.

On the ugly side, under his watch, the Malawi national football team only qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations twice and did not win any meaningful trophy other than the 2015 Cosafa Cup Plate, a reward for failures.

Nyamilandu desperately wanted to retain his seat “to bridge the gap”. He promised to construct a new stadium, improve women football and mobilise more resources for the game.

But that dream, ended on the merciless sword of Haiya, who run a robust campaign founded on a pledge to improve the football game through re-setting the technical foundations.

Nothing, they say, lasts forever. A new football chapter has opened.