Of pampered failures and satisfied officials

I would hate to associate myself with foul language at any time of the day, anywhere! I would hate myself if I could condone the use of foul language at anyone, anywhere! I have a religious background and it is obvious that religion frowns at the use of vulgar language.

Sometimes I do not understand why a person so angry should insult another person; however I have come to accept that in some line of duty some of the things are unavoidable.

Those people who had or still have an opportunity to work or visit a country like South Africa would attest how rough, in language and action, South Africans are. You just have to be vigilant and quick to survive in South Africa. The principle of hit before you are hit rules in South Africa.

In my life I have come into contact so many times with the use of vulgar language be it at place of work or otherwise. I understand in some cultures within Malawi it is acceptable to use vulgar language in anything including thanking a person.

Naturally bad words are just bad. However, people tend to use foul words when they are angry, unsatisfied or helpless, in short people tend to use vulgar language when they least expected that they are going to use the words, when the emotions surpass expectations.

I have heard people—who, by virtue of their position in a society, and are supposed to be exemplary—calling one another bad names and insults and other unpalatable vocabulary making thousand of people cry with laughter.

Football is a game of emotions and the world over, there are numerous examples on how people expressed or express their emotions. Winning teams have got their way of expressing happiness and losing teams have got their way of reacting to lose.

Sir Alex Ferguson of Manchester United, once after losing a game whizzed a football boot at their star player then David Beckham and Beckham sustained a cut above the eye.

Here we are talking of big names in football and after the incident (not soon after) Beckhan left the club and Ferguson stayed put. It was water under the bridge as some people say.


In Malawi I have heard spectators showering insults at Malawian players, so too I have read unpalatable writing relating to Malawian teams perennial underperformances.

For those of us who are privileged enough to watch games from the open terraces, it is an order of the day for Malawian supporters to heap insults at our good national team, every time our team loses, which is more often.

One Fam official is on record to have described some Malawi professional players, after losing a match in South Africa, as ‘mbuzi za ma professional.’ That official was not relieved of his office because of that.

Frustrated supporters use unpalatable words elsewhere in the world, then what is wrong with one person Steven Constantine, at the heat of frustration, say one or two f-words to our proud failures who parade in the name of national team.

Like some tribes in Malawi, the use of f#*words among Europeans is nothing but normal, they would use it in front of their wives, their children even in front of their in laws.

As a nation it would be imperative to understand other people’s back ground and willing to accommodate it.

I was actually shocked to realize that instead of Malawians chiding our pampered players who are continously embarrassing the nation with their underperformance, we are wasting our energy trying to fault Constantine.

It is shocking that instead of reacting to the poor performance of the teams, football officials in the country ganged up against Constantine on an issue far related to Constantine.

I am really shocked, and of course amazed by our Under 20 football players, how they managed to divert the country’s wrath from themselves to Constantine.

Constantine’s outbursts have been used as a mere scapegoat and it is unfortunate to realize everybody bought this cheap move, that is from the minister of sports himself to the president of Fam Walter Nyamilandu, desperate for another term to the last man in the street.

The story here in Malawi in on how Constantine insulted our good boy, how he insulted foreigners, nobody is talking about how these boys who wasted millions of Kwachas of our hard earned tax money.

Who would have been clapping has for the boys who have just been booted from the competition, who would allow some misguided boys to mess up his lucrative job. I understand Constantine bitterness, the guy pockets over K2 million a month and who would allow somebody to mess up such a deal.

We might have problems with Constantine and we might wish to find way and means of chucking him out of the country, but cornering him for some words he used in the line of duty would be overstretching our marks.

I found the minister remarks in the paper over this issue misplaced, while we appreciate that he is the minister of sports I think it is high time the minister desists from commenting on every issue related to football.

I would wish one football player, in his careers that have never experienced such kind of treatment from the coaches and officials to cast the first stone at Constantine. Otherwise we are wasting our energy negatively.