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| Opinion |
| Football crisis, solutions |
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by
Krishna Achuthan, 24 July 2003
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08:12:30
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The situation of football in Malawi is now at a crisis point and the powers that be seem to maintain the status quo. Prominent sports administrators, the media and the public in general have vented their anger and frustration.
The most significant point here is that the people have spoken and the president of Fam John Zingale must now act or face possible embarrassment and humiliating consequences.
The Carlsberg Cup final saga was the last straw that broke the camel’s back or has it not? A disaster of some nature was looming on the horizon for quite a long time and it was just a matter of time for it to strike.
Fam’s management capabilities have been questioned on numerous occasions. Meetings with Super League club officials at which several proposals were presented by the clubs, with the primary objective of improving Fam’s management were held. The proposals were, however, disregarded.
In fact, it can be confidently said that these clubs forced Fam to the discussion table and assurances from Fam were never fulfilled but rather the clubs were betrayed and instead accused of undermining the positions of some Fam officials. It is, therefore, understandable that the general public has stripped Fam off its credibility and respect and rendered it a management joke.
However, there are lessons to be learnt from such mismanaged incidents. All is not lost— at least not yet.
With all due respect to the president of Fam but he has failed to provide strong leadership and to steer the association through its troubles and tribulations and emerge a better, stronger and well managed outfit. He must, therefore, in the interest of football in Malawi honourably step down and aside for others to come and repair the damage and bring back football’s lost glory.
Football has lost three major sponsorships in just one season. Is there any guarantee we will not lose another one? How can one ever replace such a huge loss within the next few months and be ready for the new season? With such a crisis can Fam still tell the nation that all is well?
It may not seem fair when we complain and criticise but offer no solution or even suggestions to solve the prevailing problems. Let us calm down, look at the damage, accept the facts and be mature enough to accept our shortfalls and move on and get the situation under control.
Firstly, football must never be run or controlled by a few individuals as their personal entity. This culture must change and a business approach be adopted instead.
Again, football is big business. Thousands of people right here in Malawi rely on football for their bread and butter. In a nutshell, it must be run as a business and developed so as to make profits. In order to realise this business concept, the association must be restructured and its constitution reviewed to accommodate this new concept. Change— this is the key word.
We need quality managers and professional staff to make this business a success. We need people who can give a commitment to steer the business from the mess it is in now and onto a strong, respectable and profitable foundation. People must be prepared to make sacrifices and overcome the obstacles. But the most important quality they must have is loyalty to the sport and not any individual or individuals.
Thirdly, we need a four-year development programme that would see football being developed at various levels and ultimately producing quality players for the national team. This can only be achieved by having quality administrators and technicians.
For as long as we do not approach football as a business it will never progress. We need high standards for everyone to aspire to, and we need rules and regulations for everyone to abide by. What is good for one must be good for all. There must be no exceptions to the rule.
The heart and soul of any sport are the players and football is no exception. If one has to go back 10 years, is there a football player in this country who one can confidently say has earned meaningful dividends by playing football? If anything, our players have been exploited and discarded like garbage when they do not serve the intended purpose. Players make the game. Take them out of the equation and you have no game.
Looking after players is one of the most crucial aspects of football. Under a business environment they could become successful and retire with a peace of mind when the time comes to retire from active football. Our players are successful in South Africa, if given proper employment package, don’t you think our players here in Malawi can be successful?
Why has Fam not taken the initiative to set up a body for professional football players? It is such an association or union that would ensure that the rights of players are respected and honoured.
Refereeing can no longer remain a closed shop where a privileged few are given opportunities to progress. It must be opened to permit young men and women to take up refereeing as a career. There are quite a few youngsters from the Polytechnic and Chancellor College who were very keen to take up refereeing but were either frustrated or put off and gave up.
The mistakes that have been made, especially the cup final one is totally unforgivable. It’s a crime to commit such errors. Football needs dedicated and capable people. They must be able to interpret the rules with ease to say the least. This is the bottom line. We do not need foreign refs because we have the human resource right here. But has Fam exploited this huge reservoir of untapped talent? No.
All said and done, what can be done to save the situation? I believe Mr. Zingale and his board must honourably step down. There have been far too many problems of basic mismanagement for them to remain in office any longer and try to repair the damage. There is no more credibility, trust and respect left for them. The honourable way out is to step down.
If they do not step down, then the Malawi National Council of Sports must invoke its power and dissolve the board, appoint an interim committee whose job is to restructure the association and place it on to a firm and solid foundation.
Once this is achieved, and it must be achieved within a specific period of time, Council should call for an annual general meeting. Council has an obligation and duty to the nation to ensure that sport is managed properly and clear the mess, which in this instance, exists within Fam.
If Council does not move in, then the Super League clubs will have to decide their own fate and act. Let us not wait for another crises to occur. |
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