By Baba Jukwa | The Unyielding Cycle of Mismanagement in National Football Affairs.
In a startling reflection on the state of national football governance, the tenure of the Normalisation Committee, spanning a mere eight months, has laid bare the persistent issues plaguing our beloved sport. As we emerge from the shadows of a nine-month ban, the hopes for a rejuvenated and cleanly administered football landscape seem to have been dashed, casting a long shadow of despair across the hearts of fans and stakeholders alike.
Historically, our football terrain has been marred by cycles of neglect, mismanagement, and outright destruction at the hands of successive leaderships. Today, these cycles appear to be repeating with alarming precision, as the same issues that once derailed our national football aspirations continue to rear their ugly heads under the current Normalisation Committee’s watch.
The committee’s efforts, which were initially met with optimism, have been overshadowed by accusations of reverting to old, destructive habits that once saw the football federation captured by a mafia-like grip. This grip, characterized by the hijacking of national team functions, the meddling in player and coach selection processes, and the creation of a nepotistic fiefdom, threatens to strangle the very essence of the game.
Reflecting on the first 10 months of Felton Kamambo’s tenure and his controversial decision to charter a plane for relatives, friends, and pastors to Egypt during the Afcon tournament in 2019, the parallels are striking. This blatant misuse of resources highlighted a governance style that favoured cronies over the grassroots developments desperately needed to nurture future talents.
Fast forward to the period between June 2023 and March 2024, and the Normalisation Committee, stationed at its new headquarters at 66 Bishop Gaul Rd, seems to have succumbed to the same pitfalls. Despite a bold move to avoid the ‘ghosts and demons’ of the past at 53 Livingstone Avenue, their stay has been marred by the rapid embrace of nepotism, corruption, and the exclusion of junior grassroots development programs from the allocation of resources.
The nocturnal appointment of unknown personnel in administrative, coaching, and management roles, along with allegations of bribery and corruption, have sparked outrage among the football community. Social media platforms, particularly those frequented by former footballers, are abuzz with discussions about the circulating list of personnel linked to cronyism and nepotism, further cementing the notion that history is indeed repeating itself.
As the Normalisation Committee stands accused of exacerbating the issues it was meant to resolve, the call for genuine reform and the dismantling of corrupt practices has never been louder. The football fraternity, disillusioned and outraged, watches on as the beautiful game continues to be plundered, begging the question: when will the cycle finally be broken?