DON’T MIX COVID-19 WITH FOOTBALL POLITICS

I have said it repeatedly in this column that actions always speak louder than words and that’s why I believe those who always advise me not to trust words but actions.
It has become a common saying that people can say anything but actions always speak louder than words. So never trust what people tell you but pay attention to what they do.
This actually reminds me of the rigmarole or should I say embarrassment happening at the Premier League of Eswatini (PLE) where it is nothing but organised chaos. Accusations are flying around and you can sense an element of divided opinions growing among the Board of Governors.

gearing up

Some say this is expected especially because the organisation is gearing up for the elective Annual General Meeting (AGM) in some weeks’ time.
Actually, the constitution governing the operations of the PLE is stating clearly that such a meeting must be held between July 15 or early August.
Some Governors have already formally requested the PLE to release the memorandum informing members about this meeting.
This is not the issue under discussion today but the cat and mouse game we are witnessing at the PLE is slowly but surely turning the image of the organisation into a yoyo.
Our football leaders must learn to understand that If you are in a powerful position and have control over people, build a longer table, not a taller fence.

The world is currently faced with the harsh reality of COVID-19 and most football activities are currently on hold as health officials work day and night to find a cure for the virus.
Like in most parts of the world, it is all doom and gloom as far as football games are concerned locally because such games are viewed as high risk in as far as spreading COVID-19 is concerned.
Realistically, it is not easy to effect social distancing in soccer games even with security around because by their nature, football spectators act on emotions during games.
It is always difficult to predict their next move and the risk of transmitting this virus are therefore high.

You look at the health systems in our country and you get scared at the thought of football games returning especially with the rising number of positive cases everyday. 
Yes, there are recoveries which is a good sign but infection rate is not dropping but rising, which is a major concern.
Those are statistics you cannot ignore when you want to lift the ban on football or sports as a whole.
The health factor therefore becomes very vital as we look at the possibilities of returning to the field of play as indications seem to suggest.
That’s why the two football principals in PLE Chairman Peter ‘Touch’ Magagula and Eswatini Football Association (EFA) President Adam ‘Bomber’ Mthethwa are very key in the decision-making.

going away

The main worry is that instead of focusing the attention on COVID-19 and how best we can live with the virus going forward because the reality is that it is not going away anytime soon but our football leaders are too concerned about protecting positions or displaying power over others. 
We know that some people have other ambitions other than COVID-19 situation because PLE elections are around the corner while some want to settle personal scores with each other.
My plea is that these people have the trust of the football fraternity to take informed decisions on the COVID-19 situation and they cannot afford to lose focus.
Yes, PLE elections are of paramount importance for a lot of people but this is not the time to think about that.
Now is the time to think about saving lives and keeping all football lovers safe at least until the cure is found or proper and approved plans are put in place to arrest the situation.
Let us not mix the football politics with this global pandemic, that is playing with fire – literally. 

   
Success seems to be connected with action because successful people keep moving; even if they make mistakes they don’t quit.
Football leaders must find the sunshine or be the sunshine of COVID-19 by putting personal interests aside and taking a decision that will not only benefit football at the end but keep people safe.
Let us not be reckless about this and base decision to restart the games on short-term relief.

Smart networking is not a selfish act but a generous contribution followed by potential future reciprocation.
Nothing is accidental - the universe we live in is too intelligent for that type of creation.
Our football leaders need to outgrow this bad habit of taking permanent decisions based on temporary emotion.

become silent

As Martin Luther King Junior once said, our lives begin to end the day we become silent about the things that matter.
People fail forward to success, so let us not give up and most importantly, football leaders must not take irrational decisions that will come back to haunt us.
COVID-19 has taught us not to be afraid to change because as much as you may lose something good, you may still gain something better.
The challenge with trying to reason with an unreasonable person is that you can’t convince a monkey that honey is sweeter than a banana.

For now, I will deliberately withhold my view on whether or not to restart the games but the reality is that a decision has to be taken and SOON.
It is a pity that local football administrators like to play dirty politics but this is not the time for those games.
Football now needs administrators with sober minds to take the right stand on what should happen to the football season.
As they gather their thoughts on that, of course after consultations with government, they should keep in mind that health comes first before anything.
I am not a shy person but I notice things. I am a thinker, an observer.
I am not stuck up and definitely not anti-social.
I treasure my solitude because I am not a fan of small talk.
That’s why I prefer a few close friends because I m reserved until I am not.
I appreciate the true connection, if we connect, then you matter to me.
i believe that it takes nothing to join the crowd but it takes everything to stand alone and fight for what is right.

surround yourself

Energies are contagious hence you become what you surround yourself with.
We must always know that a person had a purpose before anyone had an opinion.
When we accept ourselves for what we are, we decrease our hunger for power or the acceptance of others because our self-intimacy reinforces our inner sense of security.
We are no longer pre-occupied with being powerful or not.
We no longer fear criticism because we accept the reality of our human limitations.

Once integrated, we are less often plagued with the desire to please others because simply being true to ourselves brings lasting peace. 
These are words I am sharing with our football leaders as they try to find a solution to the suspension of games.
It is not going to be an easy decision to be honest but it has to be the correct one – for everybody’s sake.

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