By Augustine Mukoka
[OPINION]: The Hazel Nali Interview & Reactions
By now, an average Zambian with interest in football has either read or been told about the Copper Queens goalkeeper Hazel Nali’s interview with me.
The reaction is mixed. Others are sympathizing with her. There are those who are empathizing, and others are outrightly condemning the girl and showing no mercy whatsoever.
I don’t mind those who are going for me. This is our territory and we were trained to appreciate and understand the value of varying opinion provided it doesn’t contain derogatory comments.
Having conducted the interview and subsequently published the article, allow me to state the following.
I have been a keen follower of Zambian women’s football. In April 2002, I was among the first journalists to cover the girls soccer team at the inaugural COSAFA Women’s tournament in Zimbabwe. It was coached by the late Jolly Sokoni and captained by Anne Namukanga – now a FAZ employee.
Although I am not currently based in Zambia, I have a fair understanding of events in my country and it’s an open secret I publish a lot of articles about football.
When Hazel Nali reached out to me to pour her heart out on the circumstances already explained, I asked a few questions, among them, the following;
Who is your agent?
Who is your manager?
Have you told your agent/manager what is happening?
Have you talked to your team leaders?
How would you like me to help you?
After we concluded the interview, I sat to reflect on the discussion. I also told Hazel this is a potentially career ending interview.
But should her career end because she gave an interview to the man you loathe with a passion? Certainly not.
Hazel is at a breaking point. And if we are human beings, we must handle her situation with care, love and compassion.
The way we treat Hazel’s situation at this point will be a strong statement to the entire team. And sending her away will be a grave mistake.
It is clear that one of the strengths of the Copper Queens is the loyalty the players have to each other, the cohesion and team spirit they have built over a decade, nothing else.
Therefore, failure to handle Hazel’s situation carefully will spell doom for any aspirations we have as a country to pulling a surprise at the competition.
Evidently, Hazel’s predicament has been handled poorly by the FAZ Secretariat, the Executive Committee and the Copper Queens technical staff.
It reminds me of a sad development surrounding a former Copper Queens player whose career ending ailment can be traced to the team’s outing to Chile for an international friendly. Another player was injured on national duty; it took other people other than FAZ to help her through with treatment.
There’s a pattern here. When Hazel leaves the World Cup, what guarantee is there that FAZ will help her with treatment?
Today, Hazel is clubless thanks to poor communication by FAZ. She therefore doesn’t have an income. So, if she has no savings of her own and FAZ does not immediately attend to her treatment, she is doomed.
It was a Catch 22 for Hazel. Give the interview to the journalist most hated by FAZ and be doomed, or die in silence and still be doomed. Choose yours. In her case, she was doomed either way. And she chose to issue a statement.
Hazel is a human being. Let’s treat her like a human being who we appreciate for sacrificing for the country.
If you follow my articles, you will recall that when I learned FIFA will give each of the 32 teams at the tournament about $960, 000 for preparations (that was before FIFA announce the $30, 000 package to players and other incentives), I wrote an article urging FAZ to consider giving the girls at least $10, 000 as some of them, the financial reward for qualification is their potential pension. They may not make the next World Cup because age and other circumstances will not be on their side.
Folks, these girls come from some of the most poorest communities in our country. These girls are drawn from homes in Chibolya, Misisi, Bauleni, Chipulukusu, kwa Sinya and Chawama, among other places.
So, if you are a privileged Zambian, empathize with Hazel. Try to understand her from a humane perspective. This tournament and its rewards is a life changing opportunity for the girls.
Hazel did not plan to have an injury during preparations for the World Cup. It just happened since football is a contact sport. Unfortunately for her, the injury occurred after the issue of allowances in which she was among the three that spoke and the secretariat kept a ‘kambala’ (grudge) for her.
To make matters worse, Hazel’s injury was aggravated by failure by the technical team to believe she was truly injured.
Indications are that because of the treatment Hazel has endured, team spirit and morale has dropped to its lowest ebb. The players, though not saying it, are not happy for a friend they have been with for 12 years.
As for Hazel, it appears the plan to get rid of her is more important for FAZ than her wellness. So far, there is no treatment plan for the player. No counseling has been done and she is left to suffer alone as if she was meant to be thrown to the wolves.
Perhaps, she even feels used and dumped by her own country.
My compatriots, this is a delicate situation. Let’s handle it with care. Hazel deserves better at her lowest. There is always an exception to the rule. May it apply for Hazel.
Anyone remembers Comoros and the in-field player who became a makeshift goalkeeper at the last Africa Cup of Nations? Such a scenario will still not happen for Zambia at this World Cup even if we keep Hazel as the third goalkeeper on the team.
CAUTION: On this issue and others, I am blocking and removing anyone who finds my page NEGATIVE to save you the trauma. Any unsavory comment will be deleted too and the author will be banished. There will only be room for reasonable discourse.
I submit.