By Suleman Chitera

Mighty Wanderers Football Club has paid tribute to the late Ellen Karonga, describing the celebrated supporter as a distinctive figure whose passion, flamboyance and unwavering loyalty brought colour to the club’s football community for decades.

Karonga, affectionately known as ‘Gogo Karonga’, died on May 10, 2024, aged 78. She was remembered during a tombstone unveiling ceremony held at Chiwinja Village under Traditional Authority Mpama in Chiradzulu District, where tombstones for Karonga, her late husband Neckson and their first-born daughter Iris were unveiled.

Representing Wanderers president Thomson Mpinganjira, the club’s director of football David Kanyenda said the Nomads continue to feel the absence of the much-loved supporter.

Kanyenda said Karonga’s contribution to the club’s support base went beyond simply attending matches, as her distinctive appearance and passionate support made her one of the most recognisable figures among Wanderers supporters.

Karonga was particularly known for dressing in Malawi’s national colours and the blue and white colours associated with Wanderers, a style that helped establish her as a familiar presence at football matches from the 1970s.

Her appearance, energy and commitment earned her affection from generations of football followers, turning her into more than an ordinary supporter.

For Wanderers, her passing represented the loss of a personality who had become part of the club’s identity and football culture.

The tombstone unveiling also brought together members of Karonga’s family, football personalities and other public figures who came to honour her memory and that of her husband and daughter.

Among those present were former Wanderers chairperson Humphreys Mvula and former Cabinet minister and diplomat Ziliro Chibambo.

Karonga is survived by five children, among them United Transformation Movement (UTM) secretary general Willet Karonga.

Her long association with football made her particularly familiar to supporters who followed Malawi’s domestic game over several decades. At a time when football supporters were increasingly recognised not only for the noise they generated from the terraces but also for the identity and traditions they brought to matches, Karonga stood out through her unmistakable style.

Her legacy therefore extends beyond her family. To many in the Wanderers community, she represented an era when club loyalty was deeply personal and supporters could become as recognisable as the players they came to watch.

The tribute from Wanderers also highlights the lasting relationship between football clubs and their supporters, whose dedication often survives generations and becomes part of a club’s history.

As the family continues to remember Karonga, the Wanderers fraternity has joined in preserving the memory of a supporter who, for decades, proudly carried the club’s colours and helped make Malawi’s football terraces more colourful.

For those who knew her as Gogo Karonga, her flamboyant presence may be gone, but the memories created through years of passionate support remain part of the story of Mighty Wanderers and Malawi football.