Patriotism does not bring food on the table. The man who has flown the country’s flag in different parts of the globe for 13 years should be the first to go to war just for the love of his country—but not when a senior government official seems to think that is all that matters in life.
Peter ‘Mjojo’ Mponda might have captained the country’s sinking ship, the Flames, for seven years, but he cannot stomach Malawi National Council of Sports (MNCS) executive secretary George Jana’s assertion that the national team does not deserve a penny more than the K30 000 (about $75) a win each bonus because they are failing to shake off the underachievers’ tag in the region where they remain the lowest paid national side.
The former Flames on-field leader came out with all guns blazing in defence of the team that he loves and served with loyalty of a US soldier in war-torn Afghanistan until a serious knee injury meant he could not wear the black, red and greed strip anymore.
“With due respect, bwana Jana should seriously consider apologising and withdrawing his statement because it was unfair to the players.
“For the players to deliver, they need to be motivated, they give out a lot for the love of their country and it was unfortunate for him to utter such a statement. I have been in touch with a number of players and they are very disappointed with what he said only that they cannot show it for fear of reprisals.
“Patriotism does not bring food on the table. His remarks have the potential to affect players’ morale ahead of the [2014 World Cup decisive] qualifier against Nigeria. Nevertheless, I believe the guys will still fight for the cause of the nation,” said Mponda on Tuesday.
His sentiments were echoed by Football Association of Malawi (FAM) president Walter Nyamilandu who said: “He [Jana] is entitled to his opinion, but the issue at hand is a chicken-and-egg situation where you have to weigh which comes first between motivation and performance.
“Yes, the issue of patriotism is important, but remuneration is also a crucial factor if we expect the team to perform.”
Jana yesterday questioned in what capacity Mponda reacted to his comment.
“In what capacity did Mponda say that? I am not going to comment on the issue any further,” said Jana.
However, last week, the Sports Council chief executive said the Flames recent performance did not portray a team that deserves to be rewarded.
