By Jerry More Nyazungu
There’s this football team recently promoted, cash-flush, loud like a kombi blasting Winky D at 7am.
They had everything: big-name players, a luxury team bus, new kits, fat salaries, and even social media admins tweeting like they’d already won the league.
But several months later? They’re nowhere near the top. Struggling to beat teams whose players train in dusty grounds and still hustle for data bundles after practice.
When Hype Meets Harsh Reality
You’d think that with all those resources, they’d be crushing it. But here’s what football and business will teach you:
Big names don’t win games. Systems do.
In business, we often fall into the same trap. Sales are down, targets are missed, and the first suggestion that comes up in the boardroom? “Let’s hire that sales guy from XYZ Ltd. The one who drives a Range Rover.”
They bring him in like a saviour. Big salary. Big expectations. But six months later, nothing much has changed except your payroll is now heavier than your actual revenue.
Superstars Can’t Save Weak Structures
Let’s be real. You can bring in Messi, Ronaldo, and Mbappé, but if your team doesn’t know how to pass, follow instructions, or defend a simple free kick you’re heading for relegation.
Business is no different. You can hire the “best” sales guy, but if your systems are broken
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Your deliveries are late
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Customer service is rude
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Prices change like ZESA schedules
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And nobody follows up on leads
then don’t expect magic.
You’re Not Running a Talent Show
Many African entrepreneurs confuse success with showbiz. They want branded offices, influencer endorsements, and viral launch parties. But the back end is chaos. No structure. No order. No discipline.
Customers don’t care about your hype. They care about how you make them feel, how reliable you are, and whether you deliver what you promised.
Instead of chasing stars, build systems:
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Train your team
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Document your sales process
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Follow up consistently
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Reward real results, not noise
Build Like a Champion Team
The best teams in football are not always the loudest or richest. They’re the ones with structure. They train, they lose, they learn, they grow and when they win, they stay winning.
Do the same for your business.
Because stars may win matches… But strong systems win championships.
