Solving Flames, Ng’ambi puzzle

Robert Ng’ambi is the Flames’ dilemma; a cryptic puzzle that has never been solved but one that has to be solved before it is too late. Age (27) is not on the midfielder’s side.

For his club, Platinum Stars, in the South Africa Premier Soccer League (PSL), he is so good. A top notch ball-player. A stylish ball distributor-turned one-touch master. And oh! What a regular goal-grabber.

But for a midfield star who creates and scores with amazing regularity for club, it is hard accepting that Ng’ambi’s eight-year Flames career has been nothing but average; a good game here, a goal and an assist here. That is about it.

But the allergy that the black, red and green strips have on Ng’ambi is so telling. It is not a secret that the midfielder feels so underrated when representing Malawi.

“I am not saying I am a better player than those that are there. My point is why call me all the way from South Africa just to put me on the bench when there are other players that can do better?” Ng’ambi was quoted as saying in The Nation of September 12 2012.

Then, the Flames had just lost 2-0 in Ghana in an African Nations Cup qualifier. The then Flames coach Kinnah Phiri did not mince words that he was not impressed with Ng’ambi’s pace.

From Yasin Osman to the late Burkhard Ziese and Kinnah they never invested full trust in Ng’ambi’s abilities to last the 90 minutes in the same way club trainers have always had in him, including from his days at ACT Stars, MDC United, Bakili Bullets, Monomotapa (Zimbabwe) and Black Leopards in South Africa.

For ex-Flames midfielder Sherry Msuku, Ng’ambi is misunderstood.

“He usually does not tick for Flames because he plays with guys who do not read him. He is usually told to mark so he exhausts the energy. He is tired when he gets the ball,” says Msuku.

Called on Friday to explain reservations he had in Ng’ambi around 2005, Osman regretted that he never fully understood him and played him to his strength in a free role.

“I did not have much confidence in his mental capacity; his ability to outwit opponents but he has now matured. He is a much stronger player. That time, he also did not have the ability to play for 90 minutes. He has also now developed,” Osman explained.

So, what is clear is that Ng’ambi is not your Usain Bolt, yet he has all along been played to his weakness. Flames coaches force him to play and win the ball, leaving him as Msuku observed ‘exhausted’ when he gets into the box where he is dangerous on South Africa football fields.

“They should give him the freedom to play from defence to attack. They should not restrict him. When he plays freely, he creates chances and scores,” South Africa based Malawian sports journalist Benjamin Nyirenda observed recently.

In that free role, Ng’ambi passes the ball first time, disappears then pops from the deep like a thief to head, side-foot or tap the ball into the net, resulting in three man-of-the-match awards and five goals of all competitions in South Africa.

In doing that, Ng’ambi has taken Stars to the top of PSL standings and won the MTN8 championship last month.

This, Osman observed, is as a result of him enjoying the free role as “Robert is not particularly a fast player; he likes to play at his own pace. In that role, he is able to control the game.”

No Malawian midfielder has since John Maduka’s 1996 Coca-Cola Cup winning exploits with Umtata Bush Bucks, delivered verdicts of PSL matches single-handedly.

One thing which is clear is that as long as Flames coaches fail to monitor regularly players such as Ng’ambi at their respective clubs, to understand what makes them tick, South Africa, and not Malawi football, will continue to reap from where they did not sow.

Lastly, SportsXtra asked three current players, two football administrators and one sports reporter-cum-commentator on which Europe-based player they can liken to Ng’ambi’s midfield play.

Guess what: None of them agreed on Ng’ambi’s style. Some likened him to Aaron Ramsey, others Cesc Fabregas, Yaya Toure, Frank Lampard and Matthew Le Tissier. Such is Ng’ambi’s puzzle.