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Before You Give Up, Remember This Lesson from the World Cup

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Football is more than ninety minutes. It is a mirror of life.

Every four years, the FIFA World Cup reminds us that talent alone does not win championships. It teaches us about resilience, timing, failure, redemption, and the strange way history repeats itself. If we pay attention, we realize that the greatest lessons from football have very little to do with football itself.

The Biggest Mistake People Make: Leaving Before the Final Whistle

One of the most painful realities in life is that many people quit moments before their breakthrough.

Football has taught us that a match is never won or lost until the referee blows the final whistle.

Few teams embody this better than Argentina.

Throughout recent tournaments, Argentina has developed a reputation for refusing to surrender. They have repeatedly found ways to score decisive goals in the dying minutes, turning despair into celebration. Even when matches seem destined for extra time or penalties, they continue pressing, believing that one more attack could change everything.

Life works the same way.

Many people abandon their dreams when success is only one final effort away. They stop applying for jobs after countless rejections. Entrepreneurs close businesses just before the market begins to recognize their value. Students give up on degrees because graduation seems too far away.

The tragedy is that they never discover how close they actually were.

The difference between winning and losing is often not talent, t is the willingness to keep playing after everyone else has mentally left the field.

Your greatest opportunity may arrive in the final minutes of your struggle.

Every Champion Has Been Defeated

The World Cup has another lesson.

Every champion carries scars.

Argentina lost finals before finally lifting the trophy. Lionel Messi experienced years of criticism, heartbreaking defeats, and questions about whether he would ever win football’s biggest prize with his country.

Many people judged his story before it was finished.

Then came redemption.

Life rarely follows a straight line. It moves in cycles of setbacks, learning, rebuilding, and eventual triumph.

People often mistake a difficult season for a permanent destination.

But football reminds us that today’s defeat may simply be preparation for tomorrow’s championship.

Life Is a Relay, Not a Solo Performance

One of the most fascinating stories in modern football is unfolding between Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal.

Years ago, a young Lionel Messi was already becoming a global icon. Around that same time, an infant named Lamine Yamal appeared in a charity photoshoot where Messi helped bathe babies for UNICEF fundraising calendar. Nobody imagined that one of those children would one day become one of football’s brightest stars.

Years later, Yamal emerged wearing the same Barcelona colors that Messi once wore. The child who once looked up to Messi is now following the path he helped create.

Life has a beautiful rhythm.

Every generation produces heroes who inspire children. Those children eventually grow into adults capable of carrying the torch even further.

The teacher eventually watches the student teach others.

The pioneer eventually becomes history while the next generation becomes the future.

Your Hero May Become Your Rival

There is another fascinating truth football keeps revealing.

The people we admire today may become the people we compete against tomorrow.

Every young footballer has posters on their bedroom wall.

One day, they walk onto the same pitch as those legends.

Sometimes they even outperform them.

This is not disrespect.

It is evolution.

Competition is not about replacing those who inspired you. It is about honoring them by becoming good enough to stand beside them.

Life works the same way.

The professor you admire today may one day review your research as an equal.

The entrepreneur whose interviews you watch today may eventually compete with your company.

The filmmaker whose work inspired you may one day sit beside you on a festival jury.

Admiration is often the first chapter of competition.

The Crowd Sees Ninety Minutes. God Sees the Whole Tournament.

People often judge themselves by one match. Life judges us by the entire tournament.

A bad week does not define a career. A failed business does not define an entrepreneur.

One rejection does not define a future. One disappointing season does not define an entire life.

World Cups are won over multiple matches. Every game contributes to the final story.

Likewise, every setback, delay, heartbreak, and unexpected victory becomes part of the person you eventually become.

The scoreboard at halftime is never the final result.

Keep Playing

Perhaps the greatest lesson football teaches us is surprisingly simple.

Keep playing.

Run one more sprint.

Make one more pass.

Take one more shot.

Believe for one more minute.

History remembers those who stayed on the pitch.

The world celebrates champions, but every champion was once a player who refused to quit when the odds looked impossible.

Life imitates football because both reward those who understand one timeless truth:

The final whistle has not blown.

Until it does, there is always time to change the score.

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Is Education Becoming a Privilege Instead of a Right in Malawi?

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In recent weeks, Malawi has witnessed significant increases in tuition fees at public universities. While universities have legitimate reasons for seeking more revenue, rising operational costs, inflation, infrastructure maintenance, and improving the quality of education, the timing and scale of these increases raise a fundamental question:

Can a country with Malawi’s economic realities afford to make higher education less affordable?

The debate should not be whether universities need more funding. They undoubtedly do. The real question is whether fee increases are being designed with the financial capacity of ordinary Malawians in mind.

Education Is Not Like Any Other Commodity

Education occupies a unique place in society. Unlike luxury goods or commercial services, education is an investment in a nation’s human capital. Every doctor, engineer, teacher, entrepreneur, scientist, journalist, and public servant begins in a classroom.

When access to education becomes increasingly dependent on one’s financial status, society risks wasting its greatest resource: talent.

The brightest student from a rural village should not be denied a university education simply because their family cannot absorb a sudden and substantial increase in tuition fees.

Public Universities Set the Tone

One reality of Malawi’s education sector is that public institutions often influence the pricing decisions of private institutions.

When public universities significantly increase tuition, private universities and even secondary schools are likely to adjust their own fees upward. They often justify these increases by pointing to rising costs across the education sector and by benchmarking against public institutions.

The result is a chain reaction.

What begins as a decision affecting public universities eventually impacts families whose children attend private universities, private secondary schools, and even smaller independent schools.

Education becomes more expensive across the board.

Should Fee Increases Reflect People’s Economic Reality?

Any increase in the cost of essential services should be viewed alongside people’s ability to pay.

Malawi remains one of the world’s lower-income countries, with many households already facing high living costs, unemployment, and stagnant incomes. For many families, paying school fees already requires enormous sacrifice.

If tuition fees rise substantially while household incomes remain largely unchanged, affordability inevitably declines.

The principle is straightforward:

The cost of education should not grow much faster than people’s capacity to afford it.

Otherwise, higher education gradually becomes accessible only to families with greater financial resources.

A Question of National Priorities

Governments have difficult fiscal choices to make, and universities cannot operate without adequate funding.

However, there is an important distinction between funding education and shifting a greater share of the cost onto students and their families.

Countries seeking long-term economic growth generally aim to expand access to education rather than restrict it.

Every student who is unable to attend university because of cost represents lost potential not only for that individual but also for the nation.

Malawi cannot build a knowledge-based economy while simultaneously making higher education increasingly unaffordable.

If Costs Rise, Should Incomes Rise Too?

There is another important question that deserves public discussion.

If the cost of education rises dramatically, should workers’ incomes also increase to preserve affordability?

While a 50% increase in the minimum wage is one proposal that some may advocate, wage policy depends on many economic factors, including productivity, inflation, employment, and the capacity of employers to absorb higher labor costs. It is therefore not a simple one-to-one solution.

Nevertheless, the underlying concern remains valid: when the prices of essential services rise much faster than incomes, families experience greater financial pressure.

Without corresponding improvements in household purchasing power, many students may defer, interrupt, or abandon their education.

Are We Solving or Deepening Malawi’s Education Crisis?

Malawi already faces significant educational challenges:

  • Limited access to higher education.
  • High dropout rates at different levels of education.
  • Financial barriers affecting many households.
  • Skills shortages in key sectors.

If higher education becomes even less affordable, these challenges could become more severe.

The long-term consequences may include fewer university graduates, greater inequality in educational opportunities, and slower national development.

Education Should Be an Investment, Not Merely a Revenue Stream

Universities require sustainable financing, and no serious observer disputes that reality.

However, public universities have a responsibility that extends beyond balancing budgets. They are institutions established to expand opportunity and develop the country’s human capital.

Education should never be viewed solely through the lens of revenue generation.

It is an investment whose returns are measured in stronger institutions, economic growth, innovation, better healthcare, better governance, and improved quality of life.

The Way Forward

Rather than relying primarily on substantial fee increases, Malawi should pursue a broader conversation about financing higher education. Possible approaches include expanding scholarships and student loan programs, strengthening public investment in universities, encouraging partnerships with the private sector and development partners, improving institutional efficiency, and ensuring that any fee adjustments are introduced gradually and transparently.

Most importantly, affordability should remain central to every policy decision.

Final Thoughts

A nation that makes education increasingly inaccessible risks limiting its own future.

Universities deserve adequate resources, lecturers deserve fair compensation, and students deserve quality education. These goals are not mutually exclusive.

But every decision on tuition fees should begin with one simple question:

Can the average Malawian family realistically afford this?

If the answer is increasingly “no,” then the discussion should not end with higher fees. It should continue with a broader national conversation about how Malawi can finance quality education while keeping it within reach of those whose futures depend on it.

Education should not become a privilege reserved for those who can afford it. It should remain one of the most powerful pathways for reducing poverty, expanding opportunity, and building a stronger Malawi.

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Malawian Students Are Not Failing — The System Is.

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By  Fulbright Program scholar Gift Sukez Sukali, MFA

Studying in the United States  has been one of the most eye-opening experiences of my academic journey. Coming from Malawi, where I completed my undergraduate studies at Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences (formerly Malawi Polytechnic), I have had the rare opportunity to experience two very different university systems firsthand.

This experience has allowed me to reflect deeply on how education is structured, how students are supported, and why outcomes often differ between the two systems. While both Malawi and the United States value education, the difference lies in how institutions are designed to help students succeed.

A System Built Around Student Support

One of the biggest differences I noticed in the United States is the level of support available to students.

At Ohio University, support goes far beyond the classroom. Students have access to academic advisors, tutoring services, counseling, mental health resources, career development offices, writing centers, and countless extracurricular opportunities that contribute to both academic and personal growth.

The university environment is intentionally designed to support student success. If a student is struggling academically, emotionally, or personally, there are systems in place to identify that and offer help.

Professors are also highly accessible and genuinely invested in student progress. If you miss a class, it is not uncommon for a professor to reach out, check on your wellbeing, and even arrange a special session to help you catch up.

This was surprising to me because in Malawi, missing class is usually considered entirely your responsibility. Once you fall behind, catching up often depends solely on your own effort.

Why Many Students Excel in the U.S.

People often ask why many students earn distinctions and high grades in American universities.

The answer is simple: the grading system rewards consistent effort.

In many courses, simply attending class, participating actively, completing assignments on time, contributing to discussions, and engaging with course materials already puts a student in a strong position before final assessments.

By the time exams arrive, many students have already secured over 60% of their grade through continuous assessment.

For graduate students, it is even more interesting. Some courses do not have traditional invigilated exams at all. Instead, assessment is based on projects, presentations, research papers, and practical application of knowledge.

The system operates on trust and maturity. The assumption is that if you are pursuing graduate studies, you already understand your purpose and are committed to learning.

The Malawian Reality: Too Much Weight on Exams

During my undergraduate studies in Malawi, I experienced a very different system.

At the time, in my class at Malawi Polytechnic, only one student graduated with distinction.

This was not because the rest of us were incapable or less intelligent. Many brilliant students simply struggled within a system that places enormous emphasis on final examinations.

The challenge with an exam-centered system is that it often measures short-term memory and performance under pressure more than it measures actual understanding, consistency, creativity, or practical application.

A student may work hard throughout the semester, understand the material well, and still perform poorly because of one difficult exam.

I believe this is an area where Malawi’s education system can evolve. Assessment should focus more on whether students are consistently engaging with and applying knowledge, not just how they perform in a few hours of testing.

The Financial Burden Students Face

Another major difference is the student living experience.

In Malawi, many students face financial struggles that go beyond tuition. Students often worry about basic needs such as food, accommodation, transport, and survival itself.

This creates a heavy burden because students are fighting two battles at once: succeeding academically while also worrying about how to meet their daily needs.

In the United States, while students certainly face financial pressures, universities often provide systems that reduce these basic survival concerns through housing support, meal plans, campus employment opportunities, healthcare access, and emergency student services.

As a result, students are able to focus more fully on learning and development.

No student should have to choose between studying for an exam and figuring out what they will eat.

What Malawi Can Learn

Malawi has brilliant students with enormous potential.

What many students need is not greater intelligence or harder exams, they need stronger institutional support.

Our universities can benefit greatly by investing more in:

  • Continuous assessment systems
  • Student mental health support
  • Academic mentorship
  • Stronger lecturer-student engagement
  • Better access to extracurricular development
  • Student welfare systems that address basic needs

Education should not only test knowledge; it should create the right conditions for knowledge to flourish.

A Personal Reflection

Studying at Ohio University has shown me what is possible when an educational institution intentionally invests in student success.

It has made me appreciate the resilience of Malawian students even more. Many of us succeed despite limited support, difficult living conditions, and systems that demand everything while offering little margin for struggle.

If Malawian universities can combine the resilience of our students with stronger support structures, the results would be extraordinary.

The future of education is not about making learning harder.

It is about making success more possible.

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Was Africa Ready for Independence?

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Has independence truly delivered on its promise for Africa, or has it fallen short of the hopes that defined the 1960s wave of liberation?

Between the 1960s and 1970s, much of Africa broke free from colonial rule, ushering in an era filled with optimism. Political independence was expected to unlock economic growth, strengthen governance, and give Africans control over their own destinies. Freedom was not just symbolic, it was meant to translate into prosperity, dignity, and self-reliance.

Yet, more than half a century later, the reality is far more complex.

Across the continent, many nations continue to grapple with deep-rooted challenges: corruption, economic dependency, fragile institutions, and persistent poverty. Despite being rich in natural resources, a paradox remains, Africa exports raw materials and imports finished goods at a premium. This pattern mirrors colonial economic structures, raising a difficult question: has true independence economic and structural ever been achieved?

Africa is one of the most resource-rich regions in the world, yet many of its countries lack the infrastructure, capital, and technological capacity to fully exploit these resources independently. As a result, foreign companies often dominate extraction industries, refining raw materials abroad and selling them back at higher prices. This dynamic creates a cycle of dependency that undermines the very essence of independence.

If sovereignty means control over one’s resources and economic destiny, then for many African countries, independence remains incomplete, more theoretical than practical.

Case Study: Malawi

The situation in Malawi illustrates this contradiction vividly. Despite being endowed with valuable natural resources, including uranium, monazite, neodymium, newly discovered massive rutile and graphite deposits in Kasiya, and other rare earth elements, Malawi continues to struggle economically.

One of the country’s most pressing issues is foreign exchange (forex) scarcity. Malawi imports far more than it exports, leading to chronic currency shortages that affect everything from fuel availability to industrial production. This imbalance persists even though the country holds significant mineral wealth, including an estimated portion of global rare earth reserves.

Why does this happen?

  • Limited processing capacity: Raw minerals are often exported without local beneficiation.
  • Weak industrial base: There is minimal value addition within the country.
  • Governance challenges: Corruption and policy inconsistency discourage sustainable investment.
  • Economic structure: Heavy reliance on agriculture and imports makes the economy vulnerable.

In theory, Malawi’s resource base could support industrial growth and economic transformation. In practice, structural inefficiencies and governance gaps prevent that potential from being realized.

Leadership, Policy, and Accountability

A recurring challenge across many African nations remains the question of leadership. Corruption, often embedded at the highest levels of government, continues to divert critical resources away from public development, weakening institutions and eroding public trust. While incoming administrations frequently campaign on promises to fight corruption, the reality in power can look very different, with some perpetuating the very systems they once condemned.

This raises difficult but necessary questions about governance. Is democracy, as currently practiced in some contexts, delivering the accountability and development people expect? Or is the issue less about the system itself and more about how it is implemented?

Calls for alternatives, such as authoritarian or centralized rule, often emerge out of frustration. However, history suggests that dictatorship is not a reliable solution. While some authoritarian regimes have delivered short-term stability or rapid development, many have also been marked by repression, lack of accountability, and long-term institutional damage.

Rather than abandoning democracy, the more urgent challenge may be to strengthen it, building transparent institutions, enforcing the rule of law, empowering citizens, and ensuring that leadership is truly accountable. The problem may not be democracy itself, but the gap between its ideals and its practice.

But leadership alone does not tell the full story. Education systems, institutional strength, and long-term policy planning also play critical roles. Countries that have made progress often demonstrate a combination of these factors.

Signs of Progress: Lessons from Others

Not all African countries have followed the same trajectory. Nations like Rwanda, Tanzania, Egypt, and Ethiopia have made notable strides in recent decades.

Their progress can be attributed to:

  • Stronger governance frameworks
  • Strategic investment in infrastructure
  • Focus on education and human capital
  • Efforts to reduce corruption and improve accountability

While each country has its own challenges, they offer valuable examples of how policy direction and leadership can influence national outcomes.

Was Africa Ready for Independence?

This question is often debated. Some argue that colonial powers left behind weak institutions, making the transition to self-rule difficult. Others believe that post-independence leadership failures are the primary cause of stagnation.

The truth likely lies somewhere in between.

Independence was necessary and inevitable, but sustaining it required systems, discipline, and vision that many nations were still developing. The challenge was not just gaining freedom, but managing it effectively.

Looking Forward

Africa’s story is still being written. The continent holds immense potential, not just in natural resources, but in its people, culture, and innovation. The question is no longer whether independence was justified, but how it can be deepened and made meaningful.

True independence in the 21st century may depend on:

  • Building resilient institutions
  • Investing in local industries and value addition
  • Strengthening education systems
  • Holding leadership accountable
  • Reducing dependency on external powers

So, has independence let Africa down? Or has Africa struggled to fully realize independence?

The answer is not simple, but it is clear that the next chapter will depend less on history, and more on the decisions being made today.

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The Ultimate Investment

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There is a specific kind of hunger that comes from being raised in the ghetto, places like Chilinde and Kawale. It is a hunger not just for “better things,” but for a better version of oneself. It is the drive to transcend the immediate surroundings and see what lies beyond the horizon.

Looking back at my roots in Liwonde, the journey to the halls of Ohio University, where I am finalizing my MFA, and into the specialized programs at Harvard Business School, seems improbable on paper. Yet, here I am. This journey hasn’t been a product of luck; it has been a product of a singular, unwavering philosophy.

As we navigate 2026, a year defined by rapid shifts and new challenges, I’ve been reflecting on the bridge between where you start and where you dream of being. It boils down to one fundamental truth: The best investment you can ever make is in yourself.

The Power of Persistence: Beyond “Trying Hard”

Persistence is often misunderstood as simply working long hours. In reality, persistence is the ability to maintain an obsession with a goal long after the initial excitement has faded.

It is the discipline to stay the course when the road from Lilongwe feels endless, and the obstacles seem insurmountable. True persistence is a refusal to accept “no” as a final answer. When the world closes a door, your persistence is what builds a new one.

Knowledge: Your Mental “Operating System”

We live in an era of unprecedented change. Industries shift overnight, economies fluctuate, and technology evolves faster than we can keep track of. In this landscape, physical assets, money, property, and equipment can be volatile. However, knowledge is the only currency that never depreciates. It is the “mental software” that allows you to solve problems that don’t even exist yet.

When you invest in your education, whether through formal institutions like HBS or the relentless pursuit of self-directed learning, you are compounding your personal value. Knowledge provides three critical pillars:

  • Adaptability: The power to pivot when the market or circumstances change.
  • Perspective: The ability to see a hidden opportunity where others only see a dead end.
  • Confidence: The internal quiet that comes from knowing you are capable, because you have done the work to build your foundation.

2026: Looking Beyond the “Zip Code.”

This year, I challenge you to look beyond your current zip code, job title, and limitations. I am living proof that your background is a foundation, not a cage.

You do not choose the circumstances of your birth, whether in poverty or riches, but you do decide the trajectory of your life through deliberate, daily decisions. Don’t wait for someone to hand you an opportunity. Instead, build the skills that make you the only logical choice for that opportunity.

Read the book, take the course, seek out the mentor, and never ever stop betting on yourself.

From Malawi to the world, the message remains the same: Keep going. The view from the top is worth every step of the climb.

Coming Soon: “Anyone Can Shine”

I am thrilled to announce that my book, “Anyone Can Shine: The UnderDOG Blueprint,” will be published next month. It is a guide for anyone who feels like the odds are stacked against them, providing the mental framework to rise above any circumstance.

It will be available on all major distribution platforms. Stay tuned for the launch!