Nomads seek divine help, admit crisis

Such is the misery in Mighty Wanderers camp that even their move to settle a sing’anga’s (witch doctor) outstanding dues could not stop the downward spiral at Lali Lubani Road.

The club’s main supporters committee secretary Paul Mphepo on Monday confirmed being told that the cause of the team’s poor run was a spell cast by their former witch doctor they owed money. They paid off his dues amounting to K26 000 with the hope of wishing away the bad omens. However, he refused to disclose the sing’anga’s identity.

Mphepo also said the main supporters committee has agreed to seek divine intervention.

The battered and bruised Nomads anchor the 15-team top-flight league log table with a single point from eight games and the situation took a turn for the worse last Sunday when they suffered their fifth league defeat after going down 2-0 to their sworn rivals Big Bullets.

“We have agreed to seek God’s intervention because never in the history of Wanderers has the team slumped to such frightening levels.

“When we were preparing for the game against Bullets, several people came forward with suggestions on how we could improve the performance of the team and one of them was that we should settle the outstanding dues owed to the sing’anga which we did after getting the executive committee’s approval.

“Sadly, though, the poor run is continuing and we have now agreed to seek God’s intervention because much as we are failing to score, the team is not in a hopeless state,” he said.

Mphepo and the club’s chairperson George Chamangwana also conceded that the situation at Wanderers is a crisis.

“I would not agree or disagree with the insinuation that the bad run is a result of the team being bewitched because people have different cultural beliefs, but one thing for sure is that we are in a crisis and we have to look at the situation holistically.

“Personally, I think our problem has to do with lack of fire-power because we are able to play well and create chances, but we are failing to convert them into goals. That is an area that the technical panel has to work on and the good thing is that in the past two games, there has been an improvement,” he said.

Chamangwana, a former Wanderers defender, also said there is need to work on the players’ psychology as they seem to have lost confidence.

One of the senior players, Jacob Ngwira, said the team is just going through a bad spell.

“It is a cause for concern, as players we have spoken about it. We have been trying to give out something extra, but we are still struggling. So, we are equally confused and concerned as well. We know that the Nomads family is not happy because this is a big team,” he said.

Chamamgwana cautioned former main supporters committee chairperson Yona Malunga to be careful with comments he utters on radio.

“The way he is talking could provoke some fans because the picture he is portraying is that Wanderers’ poor run is a result of his removal,” said Chamangwana.

But Malunga said he has no reason to wish his beloved team bad luck.

“I am a Nomad and will always remain so,” he said.

Soon after the team’s loss to Bullets on Sunday, coach Gerald Phiri said his charges appeared to give their opponents too much respect.

“It could be because they have lost some confidence and there are others who are not showing commitment, it is as if we are forcing them to play. But we are not far off because our biggest problem is scoring, but with time the situation should improve. I urge the Nomads family not to press the panic button,” he said.