TROUBLES IN THE ZAMBIAN NATIONAL TEAM CAMP.

By  Namakando Nalikando-Sinyama

How the '7-0 Loss' to Algeria was but a prelude to more troubles to come.(I know most of you did not get to watch the Game, So before you rather hastily correct that score line to 5-0, like it is any better,do know that, unbeknownst to most, 2 other goals were only narrowly ruled offside)Yeah,go right on ahead and choke on that,it was actually that bad alright! So,if you are a pessimist with a hyperactive sense of imagination, you are free to extrapolate the scoreline and round it off to the nearest possible margin to rub in a dire situation of the  dwindling Zambian footballing fortunes.)

The idea as we see it is this that,some known people are inciting key players to rebel or plant seeds of discontent within the Camp and divide it so that all remaining Games are lost in order for the Citizens to start baying for the 'Blood' of Kamanga's Administration to be sucked to pave way for known former Administrators. The hitch is ,the current Administration have the full backing of the  architect of 'Wako in Wako' Ideology , the once former Soccer Fan No.1 Who,at some point, as it happens, might be pulling more strings than one at even higher levels of more serious non Sporting Administration of Country.

All this scheming by the Anti-Kamanga camp will obviously prove to be a tall order but desperation is so high that they may even be banking on an all out, countrywide  insurrection by the Football loving citizens which could potentially trigger protests calling for the removal of the current administration even if it means shaking the buttressed support base the Kamanga Administration already enjoys from the higher echelons of Real Power. Herein lies the danger you see, it is exactly here where they need to tread very carefully as the whole plan might have National Security ramifications which are too dire to contemplate. It is a well known Socio-Anthropological phenomenon that there is no activity on the Planet that unites people in  this country more than sport,even Religion does not come close. We are all familiar with the expression 'Football is Politics' and this is even more real with what is currently happening. The trouble with meddling  in Football administration to this extent is that the people might get so agitated with the Football and before the powers that be realise it, the crowds would have Attained enough Critical Mass and their anger would effectively blur their reasoning and thus get channeled elsewhere in keeping with the logic in the adage, " When The Banner is unfurled , All Reason is in The Trumpet." This highlights the behaviour of an excited mob. It would quickly turn ugly as it may no longer be about the football anymore you see. This incident would prove to be a fissure for the crowd  to now vent out their years of pent up and bottled  anger at everything they see wrong with how the country is being generally run. What may start out as mass expression of displeasure with football Administration could so easily cause an all out degeneration of Law and Order,consequently into the total break down of Social Order potentially triggering unrest to the levels of Compton and Brixton that would shake the political landscape as we have known it to its core . All it takes is a priming spark to trigger an avalanche of sorts that can invariably erode years of gain in infrastructure development. This kind of Human behaviour  is all nicely choreographed in the book ," The Anatomy of Human Destructiveness. " By Dr. Erich Fromm.

What we, as  independent observers need to address is something I have always struggled with, that is, to establish the direct real link between Football Administration and the existence of Actual Talent among your crop of players. Granted,that in administration you talk of things like motivation of Coaching Staff and The Players, Player Selection choices,Finding the right Coach and paying them well enough to produce  required results, Team Selection, Scheduling Fitting Football Friendlies in Pre-tournament preparedness, Team Fitness, Calling dispersed players plying their trade abroad  in foreign leagues into Camp early enough to enable them gel well together with the local ones to ensure on the pitch cohesion e.t.c However, with humility ,people need to sometimes come to terms with the possibility that you may actually not have what it takes to challenge for high profile competitions on account of your skewed nature of  constituting your so-called 'National' Team which has effectively narrowed the pool of talent you have to choose from. This is a topic for another day.

 Which Player have we heard  has stormed out of Camp? This is not infinitesimal Calculus whose knowledge you need to figure out  what is really going on behind the scenes,you can surely connect the dots.Which is the invisible hand controlling some players like a marionette on strings and to what end? We may not yet be privy to the ins and outs of Camp or the goings on at Football house but it is clear for all to see that there is trouble in 'paradise'. What is true though, is that, if they are to restore their country's Sporting Football Pride to its former Glory Days( Bruce Springsteen), an urgent shake up is needed before the damage becomes irreparable. What is also true is that, things cannot go on as Business as usual any more. Have you no other Administrators who can offer their services even in an advisory role. You really do not have to topple the whole administration. If you mean well approach them and hope they would not be too proud to listen and implement suggestions from various quarters. Which ever way people want to look at all  things Football in this Country, Time has Come to Call for a National Indaba on the Sport since you do not want to do the same for more serious things like the Economy and addressing Contentious issues in the Political landscape that need levelling. You will never catch me dead talking about Bill No. 10, No Mining in Lower Zambezi, Electricity Imports, State of the Judiciary, Secretive Contraction and Expenditure of Foreign Debt without Parliamentary Oversight and Approval,The  Nature of  Appointment of Constitutional Court Judges and its effect on their ability to impartially discharge their duties, Public Order Act, etc These are all things that have been 'Happily allowed to happen and exist by the citizenry, so I find it largely counterintuitive to merely talk about things you are not really serious about  and actually willing to see Changed so as to actively participate is challenging the status quo.