How Reality make Fiction Messy

"Why do we have a big army instead of a lone Warrior?"
When I was young, I loved watching war/gun fight VCR movies. I was watching those movies mostly alone at home regardless of the warnings, thus I did not care much about the age rating. 
Sylvester Stallone's Rambo, and Chuck Norris' Delta Force & Missing in Action were my favorites that I watched them more than once.
Watching other movies was hard unless the heroic storylines were involved like "The Phantom Soldiers, Commander, Commando etc.".
So it happened that our neighbour (the wife/mother) is a soldier, and left for a peace-keeping mission to Somalia. So her son came and shared the the news with me. In my mind, I thought for a moment, "Was his mother someone like Cynthia Rothrock?" Fortunately, he opened further telling me that more soldiers had left the country 🇲🇼 for that mission.

I kept on thinking, were they like the Vietcong I had previously watched? I left him and ran to my older cousin who later on tried to give me a picture of what real soldiers are like.

I proceeded to ask him why Malawi did not have someone like Rambo, Commander or Murdock?

He just laughed, and told me that it was all fake. I did not take it to heart, that I waited for my father to knock off from work later that evening.

When my father returned, he found me home settled as usual. On this day I never waited for him to take his cup of tea, I asked him if those heroic guys were real or fake?

He looked at me with surprise, and asked, "Mumaonera kuti zimenezo?" Literally meaning where was I watching those guys. Being scared, I lied that I watched at friend's that day. Fast forward, I was grounded and I was forbidden to watch TV alone. Oh, I lost the rights because of my pride. 

Fast forward, growing I came to understand that those movies operate as PR/Orientalism weapons. Realising that no individual can win a war without a team, I have to pay homage to the soldiers who execute their job well, when instructed. 

I had the chance to watch 'We were soldiers', a movie which it's events are based on a true story. I understood how essential a team is, and how men in camouflage suffer out there protecting us.

These are the real heroes that deserve our praise and respect, not my favourite fiction characters.

...... 

Photo credits: Rambo and Missing in Action Facebook pages. 

THE CONFIDENCE OF TAKING A STEP FURTHER.

When a child is learning to stand and walk, he does so with so much hesitation unless he's held on to something. Some even try to get down so they could crawl because standing up is a new challenge presented itself to them. By practicing to stand every day, they slowly start to walk without relying on support from other objects unless a health problem arise.

Aside from locomotion, the other sides of life also need courage,  hence 'Think twice' should not be used as a scapegoat to delay the next step. Think twice, and let yourself free to the next level since the analogy may literally mean an outcome of what an individual knows, and what they should expect from their next action. 

Hesitation can make us believe that we need to be calm for being stuck where we are to avoid betrayal and other problems. The step forward decides what we must achieve next, and that can either be positive or negative. Hesitation tries to pull us to a side that promises satisfaction, and in the end we do not make a progress in our life.

Reluctance block opportunities, and present situations should help one to take a step forward for future's sake. That is to say, what is done today is significant to the future.

The criminals in suits are good examples, they roam around in poor areas in search of poor people's participation in acts that will cement their position in their accepted crimes (politics). They take that step, humble themselves just to cheat the poor that they are one. Humbling themselves is a step towards victory to the criminals and co. hence the step they take is to fashion themselves as responsible leaders to be elected.

Even students take the courage to study hard for examinations. In doing so, they hope to improve their previous performances. In that way, students are taking another step to success in their studies. That is to say, students who do not study are bound to fail since they have second thoughts, and are hesitant to treat their class with seriousness.

 

There are countless examples, but it is very important to trust your instincts and move with time. Minimise hesitation unless you have something better lined up already. The fear of the next step imprison us from facing what is coming next.

What we lost should not stop us from getting something new. We might lose it in the sea or a war, and that does not mean we go back to where we were for the sake of that piece. It might be valuable, yes but that does not mean we cannot find something better.

Going back to the battlefield after surviving killer shots that were aimed at you sounds insane. You need to keep on Grooving (moving), because that next step will help you to get something even better. 

So what is pulling you back? A breakup? A loss? An elimination from a certain game? Examination Failure? 

Come on, pull yourself back up and take that much needed step. It will not be Today but surely it will change your life forever.

I understand you can not do it alone, so please find time to pray for God's guidance and intervention because prayer is powerful, and it will help you pass through it. 

Thanks for taking time to read. Please leave comments, and don't forget to share the linked with your friends. 

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“BE BRAVE AND FACE LIFE”- Charlie Chaplin (Depression & Life)

Hey there, wherever you are I hope you’ll read this and keep it in mind.

It’s now quite some time that some individuals out there are being too judgmental about people who commit suicide due to depression. Depression is not an easy thing as it may seem to be. People who have been there or studied much about it can agree with me.

ALL RIGHTS OF THIS PICTURE RESERVED TO http://www.faceofmalawi.com

Depression possibly arise when people are stressed out due to different life circumstances or traumas. (E.g. relationship & family problems, death of a loved one, social isolation etc.)

When people are in this state it’s easy for them to get mad unreasonably, and behaviour change is inevitable. Depression makes people to lose hope in everything, and all they think of is committing suicide or stay away from family and friends. Depression aggressively kills the little love and peace which one has inside, and it’s not easy for them to do something developmental.

Depression is not easy to overcome like a mere stress but it can be dealt with just like any other problem.

Here are some helpful life saving tips I’ve tried to draft:

1. You need to stay away from life threatening circumstances, stop having so much trust and expectation. Accept that things happen differently than how we wanted them to be, and that’s life.

2. You should often associate with people who understand and accept who you are to avoid being let down and create more room for happiness & peace. This is anything which one can do socially as long as they get to bury your mental problems.

3. Stop having great desire for things you cannot have so soon cause your friends accessed them. Understand that you’ll have a chance to have them one day.

4. Meet a Therapist. Some problems can be solved by people who understand mental problems better thus those who can see through and help you to revive with guidance, and some other words of encouragement.

5. Believe in a purpose. Father of Logo therapy who also happened to be a Holocaust survivor in his ‘Man’s search for meaning’ said “An active life serves the purpose of giving man the opportunity to realize values in creative work, while a passive life of enjoyment affords him the opportunity to obtain fulfilment in experiencing beauty, art, or nature.” Face whatever is mentally affecting you now and believe you have a purpose to live for. Let life treat you the way it want. Never give up, be brave and face it.

Overall, you should love something which you can control, and that’s you. Being mad at the world won’t help you, it will only hurt you (On my Block #Netflix). Think of those who are fighting to live on a hospital bed, think of those friends and family you have.

The above tips might not work to others, and it’s not right to call names or insult souls of those who have committed suicide. Remember we all and will die differently. You don’t know exactly what they faced inside.

Let’s support those in need and be there for them when they lose hope of living.

(Written in 2019)

Dalitso Robin Chaona

Face of Malawi 

Bcube RJ 

FOLLOWING TOP TEAMS’ PHILOSOPHY CAN BE IDEAL FOR FLAMES

A win for Malawi the Flames against Algeria at African Cup of Nations (AFCON) in 2010 which was held in Angola made the flames to get carried away since it followed up with two consecutive defeats to the host nation and Mali which marked the end of the road to the final. 

Flames celebrating a goal against Algeria (credits BBC)

Flames lacked good philosophy, concentration and fighting spirit like their neighbours Zambia who went on to claim their first ever trophy by beating the then favourites Ivory Coast (8-7 on penalties). Zambia’s road to AFCON glory was based on the youth and employment of Herve Renard, a European coach with both European and African experience after being in Le Roy’s Ghana coaching panel 2008 at AFCON.

Lack of football academies have contributed to poor performances of the team as observed by Stephen Constantine, a former flames coach who began building the national team that went on to qualify for the AFCON under Kinnah Phiri. Constantine claimed that lack of grass-root soccer contributes to failure of African teams when they are competing at the top level.

“Players in Africa, don’t really get coached properly, most of them unless they go to the national team. If the national team has a foreign coach, that’s great but if they don’t, there’s not a great deal of coaching going on,” Constantine said as quoted by Goal.com in 2012 when he was managing Sudan.

Constantine was later replaced by Kinnah after failing to impress in the latter stages by not qualifying to either AFCON or FIFA World Cup although some people claimed that he was not given enough time to build the team.

People lacked patience with Kinnah as people of Zambia did with Herve Renard who guided them to their first and historical triumph in South Africa 2012. Herve came in after being in the coaching panel of Ghana national team of 2008. With African experience and European experience, Herve laid his foundations on the youth and professionals who showed hunger to play for the team.

Renard claimed that he models himself to Jose Mourinho because of his style of play which demands more from his players.

Zambia AFCON winning team (Credits BBC)

“I admire his blend of intelligence and strength, and I also admire Barcelona’s philosophy which helped me a lot in my time in Zambia,” said Renard in an interview with Goal.com

Renard’s admiration was shown when he recruited the youth to his Zambia national side and also playing a fast passing game (possession football) with Ivory Coast side which the Flames side lack although they admire to play the brand of football which is displayed by FC Barcelona.

Renard Herve being carried after Winning the final in 2010(Credits BBC)

Although Renard claimed to be a big fan of FC Barcelona, he never followed the Catalan’s culture of playing ultra-attacking football which involved high pressing (winning the ball back as soon as possible from the opponents) and fast passing game in his Zambia managerial days to win the country’s first AFCON cup. 

Life after AFCON exit in 2010 and Kinnah has been turf for the flames as they failed to qualify for a major tournament and they being knocked out at Confederation of Southern African Football Associations (COSAFA) in the hands of Zimbabwe on penalties when Tom Saintfiet was employed as a caretaker coach. On the other hand Zambia’s form has dropped since Renard’s departure who won Ivory Coast AFCON cup after many unsuccessful attempts with one of the best squad in Africa’s football history.

Some part of Barcelona’s philosophy which can be adopted in Malawi is the recruitment of the youth and building a team on a promising player who can carry the team on his shoulders with the help of aggressive midfielders who can have the desire to win and press in the opposition half to give the forwards freedom to run and score in the opposition’s box through fast movement (passing) of the ball by the midfielders.

Former FC Barcelona head coach and player, Late. Johan Cryuff from Netherlands always used to say that keeping the ball (dominating possession), move it well than the opposition is what makes a you (team) dangerous because you have what they don’t have which can avoid them to score.

“The person that moves decides where the ball goes, and if you move well, you can change opponents pressure’ into your advantage. The ball goes where you want it,” said former FC Barcelona coach Johan Cryuff to Spanish newspaper ‘Deportivo Mundo’.

Johan Cryuff (Credits wikimedia.org)

“I was criticized for playing three at the back but that’s the most idiotic thing I’ve ever heard. What we needed was to fill the middle of the pitch with players where we needed it most. I much prefer to win 5-4 than 1-0,” continued Cryuff.

Indeed defensive thinking did not enter Cryuff’s mind but now days, teams have adopted the system of playing three at the back although they’ve come up with a different approach of using wing defenders to overlap in order to create chances and track back to defend deep against the opponents by shifting into a five men back line.

Six time English League champions, Chelsea have adopted a 3-4-3 system under new manager Antonio Conte which helped them to win their sixth title by staying on top of the English Premier League (EPL) table since last year.

“I think this is the right way for the players, it is good for the team and we have found a good balance,” said Chelsea manager Antonio Conte, last year after a win against Manchester United at Stamford Bridge.

Malawi should at least try to adopt the philosophy of Renard’s Zambia and Cryuff’s Barcelona of using the youth and playing a more attacking football in order to succeed since the ageing players can’t survive alone in tournaments and qualifying matches due to fatigue while the young guys can help to emulate them when needed just like what Barcelona did by offloading Ronaldinho, Deco and Rafael Marquez when Josep ‘Pep’ Guardiola came in as a coach replacing Frank Rijkaard. Guardiola then built the team around Lionel Messi which claimed a sextuple in 2009 consisting of La Liga (Spanish premier league), Copa Del Rey (Kings Cup), UEFA champions League, Spanish Super Cup, UEFA Super Cup and a FIFA Club World Cup.

Sources:

Daily Mail

Four Four Two

Goal

Goal

Independent

Business Ghana

Guardian

BBC
BBC Blogs

Last Year's comments about FIFA Ballon D'or

FIFA BALLON D’OR FAVOURS EUROPEAN FOOTBALL

Cristiano Ronaldo

The numbers of the winners of the award which is presented by FIFA and French Ballon D’or magazine suggests that the award only focus on European competitions despite the existence of the FIFA competitions around the globe.

Lionel Messi’s win in 2010 which was the year of the world cup suggested that the UEFA and the rest of European football is much stronger than FIFA and it also happened in 2014 when Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal claimed the prize despite struggling at FIFA World Cup  which was held in Brazil.

Leo Messi

The recent 30 man nominees proves that FIFA favours is somehow ruled by UEFA which is the governing body of European football and Cristiano Ronaldo who won UEFA Euro and UEFA Champions League is tipped the favourite to retain the prize this year after it was taken away by Messi in January after winning a treble with FC Barcelona in 2015.

Piere-Emirrick Aubemeyang and Riyad Mahrez are the only African players nominated in the 30-Men-list because of their involvement in European competitions. Khama Billiati is a surprise to have missed the list after a successful season with Mamelodi Sundowns by winning the CAF Champions League, playing a key role in a struggling Zimbabwe side on their road to African Cup of Nations.

Despite winning individual awards like the PSL player of the season, PSL players’ player of the season and PSL midfielder of the season it wasn’t enough for the Malawian-Zimbabwean striker to be nominated in the 30-Men list because of his dedication to African football in mean time. This suggests how superior European football is comparing to football in other continents although FIFA recognise the Prize (Ballon D’or) as the prize for any player competing and helping his team to success just like it was the case with Ricardo Kaka, Fabio Cannavaro and Ronaldo Nazario de Lima (Brazilian  Ronaldo) who helped Brazil to a fifth title after missing European football due an injury.

You can note that Ronaldo de Lima won the Ballon D’OR (then FIFA World player of the year) when he only competed in the World Cup by helping his nation (Brazil) to clinch the title which was held in Korea and Japan in 2002. Now the prize is just for Lionel Messi and Christiano Ronaldo due to their participation and successes in European football which makes the prize useless to other continents.

European football is controlling any related football matter to a big extent that it is not happy with the new FIFA president’s decision of adding the number of teams to compete in World Cup which will benefit African nations, American nations and Asian countries since Europe has already 13 teams in the pot compared to other countries who have seven, six and five respectively with one pot remaining for the host nation.