In every institution, there are always realities and truths. What is true might not always be the reality.
Bringing domestic football in the picture, the relationship between FAM and its donor-in-chief, the Ministry of Youth and Sports/Sports Council, is terse bordering on contempt, suspicion and political correctness.
Yet, on paper, all appears rosy. Leaders from either side walk side by side and share the speech platforms. Some of us cannot be fooled all the time.
Practically, I know that the Flames are a pawn which officials from either side use on the football-politics board.
FAM uses government as a scapegoat for the association’s administrative shortcomings; sometimes buying public sympathy using the media.
Government is not any better either.
Imagine government writing FAM to choose between using the meagre resources to fund the Flames assignments or the Under-20, then changing the tune that government simply asked the association to prioritise.
Get me right: FAM is its work enemy when it comes to planning, but government does not help matters either; you get the impression they wished they managed the Flames.
Weeks before every foreign trip government will always claim there is in no money, only to make last gasp release of the extra-budgetary support.
If FAM presents K500 million annual budget for Flames assignments and government releases K50 million only yet end up releasing extra-budgets funding, why not just tell the association that the K500 million would be released in bits and pieces instead of creating a storm in a cup of tea?
Someone wants to exaggerate their importance all the time using the Flames.
For example, earlier government consented to FAM’s proposal to hire Flames coaches, only to feign ignorance on the same that they learnt about the issue in the press.
In government’s wisdom, the more FAM appears clueless—as it sometimes does—the more those in government score their points.
My take is that government’s hands are tied by Fifa’s policy against political interference in football; otherwise, given their way, they would push out of the door Walter Nyamilandu and his leadership.
The Flames are a mere pawn; otherwise, there is no interest to see the team succeed.
Flames used as a pawn
