YELLOW CARD NO. 1 OF THE YEAR: BETWEEN PROMISES, POPULISM AND THE URGENCY OF NATIONAL PRIORITIES

We opened the year as we closed the previous one: with a card. Not a red one, because we still believe in the pedagogy of warnings. A yellow card, firm, public and necessary, addressed to the President of the Republic of Mozambique, at a time when the country demands more clarity than easy applause, more seriousness than symbolic gestures and, above all, more truth than rumors.

The facts supporting this yellow card began as rumors, but quickly gained traction in the media and in street conversations: the alleged presidential promise of 500,000 meticais to each player of the National Football Team, should Mozambique reach the round of 16. The news spread rapidly, divided opinions, inflamed debates and, above all, exposed an old wound in our governance: the recurring confusion between political gesture, public interest and emotional populism.

The moral support for the National Team is not in question here. In Mozambique, football remains one of the few spaces for collective catharsis, a rare territory where the country recognizes itself as a nation. The problem begins when the Head of State, the ultimate symbol of national unity and guardian of the Constitution, directly enters the realm of individual financial promises, without transparency, without institutional framework, and without clarity regarding the origin of the funds.

Where do the 500,000 meticais come from, Mr. President? Are they personal funds or public funds? This is no small question. In a country where the President himself stated that he found empty coffers, society has the right to demand clear explanations. Even if he added up all the salary he has earned since the beginning of his term, it would hardly cover that amount.

Mozambique is experiencing a critical moment. Hospitals across the country lack essential medicines and basic medical supplies. Syringes, reagents, gloves, equipment, and even simple analgesics are in short supply. Healthcare professionals are working in precarious conditions, often improvising to save lives. Meanwhile, entire sectors of the state are experiencing salary and subsidy delays, children are studying under trees due to a lack of classrooms and school desks, and communities are left to fend for themselves.

In this context, any substantial financial promise, however well-intentioned, inevitably enters the realm of moral comparison. The average citizen asks: why is there money for individual awards in football, but not for medicines in hospitals or minimum conditions in schools? This is a legitimate and profoundly political question.

From now on, the President of the Republic cannot expect to appear on every occasion. There are institutions that oversee national sport: the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the National Olympic Committee, and the Mozambican Football Federation. These entities are responsible for structuring incentives, awards, and policies to promote athletes. If extraordinary resources exist, they must be channeled through institutional means, with transparency and clear rules.

Populism must be abandoned. Mozambican sport faces profound structural problems: the absence of a solid championship, weak grassroots training, lack of infrastructure, and irregular funding. The Mocambola, for example, did not reach its conclusion due to logistical and financial issues, a true reflection of the disorganization that persists.

If the President were truly committed to sports, he should have intervened strategically to ensure that LAM and the Mozambican Football League reached an agreement that would allow the completion of Mocambola 2025. That's where true commitment to national sport is measured.

This yellow card is not directed against the National Team or the players, who deserve respect and better conditions. It is a warning about the method, the form, and the message conveyed when governance is based more on symbolic gestures than on structured public policies.

We're starting the year with this card because the country needs a new dynamic. Less emotion and more strategy. Less personalization and more institutions. The yellow card has been shown. There's still time to correct the game.