Former players plead for Kandulu’s support

Former Football Players Association (FFPA) has pleaded with the local football fraternity and well-wishers to assist their colleague Kenneth Kandulu who is admitted to Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital in Blantyre.

FFPA’s newly elected Southern Region chairperson Ojukwu Malunga made the appeal on Monday after visiting Kandulu in ward 3B.

Kandulu has been in hospital since last Thursday.

His wife told The Nation thatthey are struggling financially because of Kandulu’s illness.

She said her husband’s illness, which started seven months ago, has rendered the family helpless. Their landlord at Manase Township has threatened to evict them for not paying rentals for three months.

She added that the K15 000 they get as part of her husband’s salary from Blantyre City Council where he works as a driver, is not enough for the family to make ends meet.

“Our biggest problem is to buy the prescribed food for the patient. I cannot afford it as my small business has also collapsed,” she said.

But Malunga, who played alongside Kandulu at Wanderers FC, said as a former Flames and Mighty Wanderers goalkeeper, he deserves to be assisted by the country’s soccer lovers.

“We should not only love our players when they entertain us on the pitch. This is the time that everybody involved in the game should love our stars,” said Malunga.

Kandulu was born on July 2 1971 and started playing for Wanderers in 1989.

He played for the Flames from 1991 to the time he retired in 2000.

At the Flames camp, he competed for a place with prominent goalkeepers such as the late George Waya, Bothwell Kuwanda and Ganizani Masiye.

 He was in the Flames squad in 1999 when Malawi beat Tanzania 3-2 during an Independence Day Celebrations match at Kamuzu Stadium in Blantyre.