Rob, you thrilled my football world
When Chad struck the third goal to take a 3-2 lead that revived their chances of qualifying for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations final preliminary stage, I just could not believe it. For a while, I thought there was need for a ‘recount’.
It didn’t just make sense to me that my beloved Flames, who went into the second-leg carrying a somehow comfortable 2-0 lead, were on the verge of being eliminated. I felt something was terribly wrong and perhaps there was need for the guys at CAF’s ‘tally centre’ in Cairo to do something about it. I suspected some rigging.
Indeed, I felt there were some serious irregularities and perhaps FAM president Walter Nyamilandu and his GS Suzgo Nyirenda needed to get an injunction to nullify the results. The scoreboard does not lie, it read Chad 3, Malawi 0, and the clock was not lying either, the game was already half-way through.
Then it came. Robin Ngalande struck that priceless away goal and relief was the prevalent emotion—the proceedings were credible and fair after all and I felt like flying. Couldn’t it have signalled a bad omen for newly-sworn in President Peter Mutharika and his deputy Saulos Chilima for the national team to be kicked out on their important day? Shout with me yes! Well, you rocked my world Rob boy, but I am sure the shambolic display and the result gave Young Chimodzi plenty of food for thought.
That said, congratulations to Prof APM and Saulos. Wish you the best guys. Spare some time for me if you can, there are issues we need to discuss over a braii before you get down to serious business. By the way, are your daughters still around Prof? Let them be there too, Your Excellency, I am sure they can make good company. And just a reminder, the guys at Southern Region Football League are still waiting for last season’s sponsorship and you promised us a new stadium during the hectic campaign, you remember? Chala m’mwamba! Chala m’mwamba!
To my good ‘ole mum, I say bon voyage, people tend to concentrate on negatives, but you did your best. Apart from distributing cows to the poor, I have realised that at my pad blackouts are things of the past and no more water shortages. And then there was that K50 million rescue package to Mighty Wanderers and Big Bullets, boy, oh boy! What can I say? Glory be to God. Uloliwe..Uloliwe wayidudula hii…Neng’aseza [The train is pushing].
