Players are bigger than club at Be Forward Wanderers

It’s a scenario that has been repeating itself at Be Forward Wanderers.

A scenario where a player becomes bigger than the club, and is basically allowed to do anything he wants.

The decision by Wanderers to kneel down before the prodigal son Jafali Chande has just proved how weak the club is when it comes to handling players.

It was with the club’s blessings that the former Nyasa Big Bullets and Epac FC forward absconded his duties by going AWOL without the team’s knowledge and without valid reasons.

Now, instead of summoning him to a disciplinary hearing, Wanderers shocked everybody when the team manager Steve Madeira was delegated to bring the player back to Lali Lubani, describing him as a “new signing”.

To them, Chande is the solution to their current problems.

Playing six league games, losing twice, winning twice and drawing twice has left the defending champions in an unfamiliar position to the extent of bowing down to the wishes of the player.

But have they solved their problems? Absolutely not. This will create more problems than the current ones because the Super League champions have set a precedent that will haunt them forever.

Chande has the habit of arriving late for training and he will continue doing this without much consequences.

Football is a team sport and individual brilliance, although well appreciated, is secondary to team performance.

Every player in the playing eleven has a role to play in it. You can’t credit a single player for a victory or shame him for a loss.

Yes, a player may have a higher contribution to the win than others but all of this is subjective too.

For example, Bullets have just summoned midfielder Mike Mkwate to a disciplinary hearing after the player refused to start the Blantyre derby from the bench.

Immediately after this, the technical panel resolved to have the player out of the game and was summoned to appeal before the club’s management where he has reportedly apologized for his unsporting behavior.

This is what Wanderers should have done with Chande, summoning him before the disciplinary committee and then punishing him for not respecting his contract with the club.

Instead, he has been encouraged to continue misbehaving as he has been called to return to training without facing any disciplinary action.

Only time will tell if the problems at the club will vanish, otherwise trouble is looming at Wanderers.