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Train has to push

For some time now, my favourite radio advert has been about care female condom in which a woman advises a friend about the beauty of using the condom and part of it goes: “Amamveka chimodzimodzi muja zikhalira, inu kumachita kudabwa kuti koma care yu ali pompa apa? Thupi litachita chidima.”

And last Tuesday evening after being thrilled by the advert on one of the radio stations, next to be aired was breaking news about TNM’s Super League sponsorship withdrawal. So here I was, one minute being charmed by the care condom advert and the next being caught off-guard by the breaking news.

And when reality sunk that the 10-year romance had come to a heartbreaking end, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for the fans and, above all, our players. All we are left with now are memories. Memories about a magician called Gabadinho Mhango, a fella who could only compete with bonya in terms of popularity, when he exploded on the big stage with some breathtaking skills.

Who can forget that trademark drift into an open space, its stunning beauty encrypted in the swagger of its movement? No wonder, he is now one of the top players in the rainbow nation and has helped to perfect the art of the kasu flavour, shibobo and all that stuff.  For that, we say thank you TNM.

But it wasn’t all rosy, was it? For 10 years, team subventions remained at K1 million, which in all fairness, was a drop in the ocean. Prize money for the champions is also supposed to make a difference towards a players lives, but what was on offer was hardly enough even to top up on starterpack for a small-scaled business like selling mandasicha abambo puffs, bonya and makala.

Anyway all good things must come to an end at some point and we must say goodbye to a brand that bailed our football from the doldrums 10 years ago. But We live in a world of competition and instead of embracing fair trade, TNM chose to be crybabies. Even mandasi sellers appreciate the spirit of fair trade and I have in mind Anachi, as in  Anachisale and Amake Boyi who tolerate each other even though they are in the same business.  Uloliwe, uloliwe wayidudula, neng’esiza hah! (Oh yes, the train is pushing). Glory be to God.

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