Sunday shot

Sick nation, sick Flames

It is that time again when you do this and that, attend to more important matters of life but somehow, somewhere your tongue finds itself rolling into some cursed six-lettered word, Flames.

You find yourself talking about the Flames, digesting what became of a futile 2013 Cosafa Castle Cup venture in Zambia, where the shame of the Malawi nation was so worse to even deserve a best-loser crown.

The football actors might be different, but the setting and the reaction has always been similar. And no matter how some may try to sugar-coat the past as being glorious, truth is that this is a very tired, if not very familiar story of underperformance.

Three Cecafa titles, All Africa bronze medal and two fruitless Nations Cup appearances in 49 years of self-rule are all projected as glory.

After all is said and done about the mediocrity of this bunch of Flames, after all the comparisons are done, bring all the greats side-by-side with the Joseph Kamwendo-doomed generation. Then ask them what they won on the international arena, then apart from Cecafa cups, they will show you nothing.

Because we are a sick football nation in denial, coaches blame reporters and administrators and vice-versa, fans lash at government and vice versa, the corporate sector points fingers at hooliganism…on and on…and on.

And that is the biggest problem. The first step towards healing this football nation is to admit that Malawi has, in the first place, never been a great football nation.

One worthwhile stadium that is crumbling on its knees, rampant ‘institutionalised’ gate-ticketing fraud, school blocks replacing community football pitches, death of youth teams, clubs operating from car boots, hooliganism and inability to participate in CAF club competitions have characterised Malawi football.

Because we are sick, we do not realise that football in neighbouring countries is years ahead of us, we cannot learn from the likes of Zambia, Angola and South Africa. We just hope and believe in the Flames.

You know, we are mad football nation, when almost everyone knows what is wrong but does nothing about it and frustrates anyone who tries to do something about it.

Ask anyone who has dealt with mental illness, they will tell you the healing process is tough, but getting the patient to Zomba Mental Hospital is tougher.

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