* As several are celebrating his loss of seat at FIFA Council
* But many salute him for having represented Malawi at the pinnacle of world football
* Let me welcome you to this new column
When Walter Nyamilandu was elected in the FIFA Council as African Anglophone FIFA Council representative in 2018, the then Malawi Congress Party (MCP) leader — now President of the Republic, Dr. Lazarus Chakwera — heartily congratulated him, saying the party had received the news with “invaluable delight, pride and hope”.
He had said Walter has passion for football development and his appointment put Malawi as well as the COSAFA on the map within the soccer world.
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After losing to Nigerian Nigeria FA president Amaju Pinnick in the polls on Friday, several ‘Malawians’ took to social media to ridicule Walter as if what he achieved two and a half years by being considered for this high post was something we should all not be proud of.
But something positive and encouraging touched me when Lot Dzonzi — former Inspector General of the Malawi Police Service and former diplomat at the United Nations — posted a message of felicitation for the Football Association of Malawi (FAM) president.
Lot Thauzeni Pansipadana Dzonzi
He wrote: “You dared, and won. For three years you pursued your dream in FIFA. You dared yet again, somebody else won just like you did [in 2018].
“You have left footprints in the sands of time. You have not failed. When COVID-19 is gone and I restart my youth leadership seminars and mentorship programme, I will use your story to teach young Malawians the value of having a dating spirit. You are a role model.
“Don’t listen to the voices of nay sayers. You have not failed. Soldiers who die in the battlefield come back home as heros not fools. You have battle scars, that is a sign of bravery.
“You have made history, country man. You have placed Malawi and Malawi football on the map. In the future, be assured, another Malawian will dare trend the path you have trodden or even higher, because you have blazed the trail.
“Walk with you head high because you are an achiever,” wrote Lot Dzonzi, now enjoying his deserved retirement — farming and preaching the Word of God.
Walter Nyamilandu
But hear this — Mcdonald Banda responded by disagreeing to the assertion that Walter has put Malawi football on the map, saying “that’s not true but on his personal side he has done better”.
Asante John Chapema questioned Dzonzi, saying “is he a role model. “Personally, I don’t hate Walter, l don’t like his leadership skills, he has failed Malawian football for years.
“I was only surprised how he got those few votes this time around because in true sense, he was supposed to get zero votes. If we really need change in Malawian or African football at large, then we don’t need people like Walter.”
George Massi responded to Chapema, asking: “What did you expect? What leadership skills are you talking about here? Don’t look at individual attributes but holistically he has made us Malawians proud.
Mpira Village, an initiative of Blatter and John
Zingale that Nyamilandu enhanced
“Don’t you know he defeated [South Africa FA] president [to cuppa that seat for two years]? Was that a mean achievement? Let us be proud. We cannot all like him and he cannot satisfy all of us. The bottom line remains he has put Malawi on the map — whether we like it or not.”
Moses Chilumpha also agreed with Dzonzi, saying “for the record Malawi produced a council member that’s putting Malawi on the map. The one who shall come after him will be the second to him. He is not the only one contributing to football failure in Malawi.”
Chapema didn’t swallow it and was obviously venting his personal grudge on the man, and even sneered that since the public doesn’t vote, the ones who did for Nyamilandu in 2018 “thought he is the right man for the job, now the same people that vote have thought otherwise now”.
“This position is about calling the shots, making a difference in African football for the better. My argument is he has failed Malawian football for years, how the hell did we expect him to make an impact on African football at large?
Nyamilandu with COSAFA president (right)
during the Under-17 tourney at Mpira Stadium
“And being on that FIFA position meant Malawian football could have been first on his list to improve on much that he is from here, but you and l know that he did nothing. So why should we be celebrating his victory?”
Pheni Chuma-Mkusa also said “Malawi football isn’t on the map, at least not on the planet map. We have the worst team, we have won nothing and our soccer standard is pathetic.
“Nyamilandu has created a toxic environment at FAM and used his influence and power to sponsor his political ambitions and associated with a party that brought misery to many Malawians.”
He even went further to defame the man, alleging that “he is a known corrupt and crooked football administrator who brutally deal with competitors — I am not crying for his loss”.
Nyamilandu presents car to APAM realized
from the Ecobank Charity Cup
Now that was going overboard — that was coming from a man who has toxic hatred on another and a system he seems not to understand at all and I totally agree with Willard Mdyetseni who, after all this has been said of Walter, said: “Only a coward feels good when he sees a brave man fall.”
However, several level headed people of high standing in society stood by Dzonzi, with senior journalist Innocent Chitosi saying: “Water seeks its own level, Dzonzi. Walter is daring and a rare species in Malawi. He is misunderstood because he operates at different frequencies from most of us. He is star-studded.”
With Felix Njewa Kankhumwa agreeing that he was incredulous then when “against all odds Nyamilandu defeated South Africa’s Danny Jordan to win a seat in FIFA in 2018. “Yeah, we still need to celebrate our own Nyamilandu where he did well.”
Walter (3rd left) during his international football
playing career
Amakhosi Jere said: “Walter is one guy my generation should be learning from. So is Seodi White. These two, like many others, have a lot to offer on leadership. Unfortunately our minds can’t accept them due to their political affiliation — it’s sad.”
Robert Neba applauded Dzonzi for his heartfelt message to Nyamilandu, saying: “The wise are known by what comes out their hearts” and Herbert Mphatso Mtalika saying “that’s why you were a Diplomat, and it can show that you represented Malawi with dignity and honor. I like your positivity on issues.”
Emmanuel Nthambi said: “We really need brave people like Walter Nyamilandu. He has made history that most of us look up to. To be a council member of FIFA is not a boy thing. It means he toiled for that.”
In his home country Nigeria, Pinnick’s victory was described as “inking the country’s name in gold”, saying it was not a personal triumph or the football fraternity — “it’s a victory for Nigeria”.
Pinnick, the man who defeated Walter
Their minister of youth and sports development, Sunday Dare also saluted Pinnick “for making Nigeria proud before the committee of Nations. This is the reward of hardwork and unity of purpose. We are better off when we support our collective aspirations for the development of our great country. This is an honour well deserved”.
Former commissioner of sports Bukola Olopade, described it as a victory for football and victory for Nigeria and appealed to all Nigerians to rally round Pinnick “in his new assignment of repositioning world football”.
President of Nigeria Olympic Committee, Habu Ahmed Gumel is quoted as saying Pinnick’s “doggedness, toughness and determination has taken the green, white green flag to the peak of the world football map”.
If Pinnick’s ascendancy to the same seat that Nyamilandu occupied is being considered as taking the Nigerian flag on the world football map — just as Dzonzi and his supporters are saying — it baffles the mind as to why some so called ‘Malawians’ would wish ill of him of losing that prestigious post.
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He didn’t lose it out of disgrace but through an electioneering vote. Most African nations like South Africa, Nigeria, Cameroon, Ghana, Senegal, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia as well as others from the COSAFA region don’t feel kindly of Malawi.
Let me school those who seem not to understand it — that Walter was voted onto that seat not because of the performance of the Flames on African and world Football, NO. It was because of his football administration acumen over all the years he has been FAM president.
He was seen to be someone who can contribute towards the development of the COSAFA, continental and global football — not just for Malawi to benefit the Flames.
When Barack Obama was elected President of the United States, his father’s country of origin Kenya wrongly believed that the man was going to channel all development donor aid to the east African country.
Barack Obama wasn’t elected to develop Africa
Even some Malawians celebrated thinking Obama would further extend this to all African country. Did it happen that way? Again NO.
Walter does not play football. He successfully did and retired as an international. He was not voted into FIFA so that African teams should start playing better football and win the World Cup. He was ushered in to develop the game from grassroots level administratively — the rest to be achieved by member affiliates.
He administers football, he provides the technical staff to select players for the Flames, he finances their preparations and just like any of us, he goes to watch them play. He doesn’t interfere in the coaching or selection of players.
So don’t equate him to the failure of the Flames on continental and global stage. Assess what he has achieved on the ground that others to come after him will continue to grow.
Yes, he has stayed on the seat as FAM president for very long but so have others such as the 6th CAF president from 1988-2017, Camerouian Issa Hayatou at CAF and Brazilian Jean-Marie Faustin Godefroid ‘João’ de Havelange who served as the 7th FIFA president from 1974 to 1998.
Longest serving FIFA president, Havelange
But what Walter inherited then on administrative and technical structures are not what they are today. And that was what made him stand out in 2018 to be considered for the FIFA post.
It’s equally preposterous that some are taking delight that he is going to miss out the hefty allowances he was being paid for, as if it was meant to be shared with us all but the man ‘greedily’ decided not to.
It’s really a shame as to what us Malawians can stoop very low and demean a compatriot in the strong energy of jealous and envy we have exerted on Walter.
I doff my hat off senior citizen, Lot Dzonzi for his words of encouragement.
* You can give feedback to duncanmlanjira@gmail.com
