Utter rubbish!
You cannot curse Khama Billiati’s parents for migrating from Traditional Authority (T/A) Kaphuka’s area in Dedza to Zimbabwe in search of greener pastures because had they remained there, the gifted Zimbabwe Warriors star would have probably been selling chips at Dedza Bus Depot wooing passengers with that catchy jingle: “xiiiiiiii kupezatchipisi cha moto apa!”
It was his parents’ adopted home (Zimbabwe) that gave Khama the platform for a better life and he now plies his trade in the rich pickings of the South African Premier Soccer League in which he stars for one of the richest clubs on the continent—Mamelodi Sundowns.
I could not help but watch starry-eyed when he scored that spectacular goal that turned the packed Kamuzu Stadium into a cathedral-hush silence with only eight minutes left in regulation time. He struck from almost 25 metres and the next thing I saw was a baffled Flames goalkeeper McDonald Harawa attempting to parry the ball as if amakupa ngumbi or abwan’noni.
It was unbelievable for a side that had only one training session, worse still travelled by bus and only had kanyenya in transit. I also hear they could not even afford a decent lodge.
It didn’t matter that while our beloved Flames spent the night snoring in the comfort of their poshy hotel rooms, the Warriors, on the other hand, slept shamba in their hired bus before checking in at the resthouse, but they still beat us didn’t they?
Gerald Phiri Jnr, who was a revelation at the Cosafa Cup, was surprisingly reduced to the bench until the 90th minute and I wonder what miracles the coaches expected the lad to perform with just seconds left. Maybe they expected him to turn to a messiah. Up to now, I also still don’t understand why John Lanjesi was taken out despite having a good game.
Nevertheless, take it from me, by tomorrow, the outpouring of fury will be gone and life in Malawi’s strange football world, will be back to normal. Any wonder that some players went clubbing soon after that heart-breaking loss? And by tomorrow, it will be business as usual. Glory be to God. Uloliwe..Uloliwewayidudulahii…Neng’asiza [The train is pushing].
