“I think as players we always want everything to be well-organised and have the opportunity just to play our game. We had a good game in very difficult circumstances. We stood up to the task to prove to our people and our country that we love. We love our people, our football, and would always want to give our best for the nation and we hope that in the near future things are going to be better and the people of our country would realise that we are just players. We are here to play and for them to also support us and give them joy. We want the stadium to start becoming full again. Saturday’s game was a good one but you can see that the stadium wasn’t full. It is difficult for the players to deal with it. We have proved that we love our country. We just want to play good football and enjoy it with our people.”
These were the words of assistant Black Stars skipper Andre Ayew following Ghana’s final AFCON 2017 qualifier against Rwanda over the weekend. The attendance was shocking to say the least. Granted the team had already qualified ahead of the game, one would still have expected a decent crowd to come in and put in a shift for the lads. The opportunity to get to see our heroes is always great on any day. Not anymore these days it looks.
I recall with nostalgia a few years ago where training sessions of the Stars almost saw full houses. Those were the days when the Black Stars were the cynosure of all and sundry. It was shocking to see people from all walks of life make their way to their training sessions days up to a game, and weekdays they were. I recall this pleasantly surprising moment when I met up with an old mate (a banker these days) on a Thursday morning for one of our games. It surely wasn’t an everyday occurrence. His response to me quizzing him about his presence was telling. “Charley, these guys are the real deal. Who would not take some time off to see them even train not to talk of their games? They are the real deal you know, he kept saying. Securing a ticket for their games was a headache altogether. They were like cocaine you know. Very expensive and very hard to come by. Packed venues in Kumasi were the order of the day not to mention the huge number of media men and women that followed the team locally and internationally.
DISASTER STRIKES IN BRAZIL
No one saw this coming. Certainly not me. With that thumping result against the Egyptians coupled with the great showing in South Africa 2010, expectations, you have to say, were pretty much on the high going to Brazil. The 2-1 loss to the United States on match day 1 for the team seemed to have opened up a can of cracks from an administrative level all the way down to the players. So much so that by the time we played our final game against Portugal, there were many a Ghanaian who wanted the team knocked out. Their actions over appearance fees had brought the nation to its knees. For some fans, these were very selfish, greedy and annoying players whose only interest at the Mundial was money, money, and money. They were not even smart enough to realise that great performances could have landed them more juicy deals and contracts. Myopic and short-sighted were but a few denigrating words directed at the players. The last straw was the decision to fly millions of dollars from the nation’s exchequer all the way to the players in Brazil. Absolute balderdash. Whatever happened to all the international processes of money transfer? Now that was annoying enough. The players had completely lost the plot. Some had become uncontrollable. The actions of the administrators didn’t seem to be one that seemed to be in control.
DZAMEFE COMMISSION
Mind-blowing comments and statements and the vituperations by some of the invited persons clearly showed that they were completely out of touch with the reality on the ground. A simple apology could have killed it rather than the arrogance exhibited by some of the invited individuals. The issue of co-efficient and how these funds were disbursed also raised several eyebrows that by the time the commission was done with its work, their recommendations cast a huge slur on the integrity of the FA in relation to funds. I have heard arguments and counter-arguments about certain officials (GFA and government) being in bed together which led to wanton dissipation of funds. That these same budgets were approved by government officers who did a U-turn to accuse “football people” was difficult to comprehend. The opinion of many were that of two bodies (FA & Ministry) being out of touch with the base and only interested in the margins that the game had brought. Debatable though.
JOURNEY TO THE UNKNOWN
While some insisted that these were unfortunate occurrences that could be nipped in the bud, events thereafter proved otherwise. From fans booing the team in Kumasi to the low patronage in subsequent games, it was clear the once adorable fans had had enough. This was an entirely new terrain. Skipper Asamoah Gyan, Andre Ayew, and Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu literally pleaded with the fans to make their way back to the various stadia but it seemed to have fallen on deaf ears. The numbers were very much on a downward spiral. I was with the team at the 2015 AFCON in Equatorial Guinea but was constantly in touch with people from diverse backgrounds at home. While myself and my journo colleagues were willing our boys on to victory, there were some who desperately yearned for the opposite. The backlash on my Facebook wall anytime I posted anything Black Stars was shocking. From downright condemnation to total vilification of the team. I had to endure them all. All I could muster saying at some point was: “Aba saa” in my local Twi dialect, which literally translates as, ‘this is the sad end’. I understand there were some who openly jubilated at our loss to the Ivorians. Oh yes, they did because I saw the pictures.
MINISTRY-FA SPAT
Sports Minister Edwin Nii Lantey Vanderpuye has made no secret of cutting down cost incurred on the senior national team. Figures from the Ministry indicate spending about $600,000.00 to $800,000.00 for a single Black Stars game. Now that works out to possibly over GHS 3M per match. Factor in the national sports budget for the year (GHS22M in 2016) and it’s a clear case of an unsustainable spend. Smart decision to cut down cost you might say.
The worry though by the FA has to do with the approach by the sector Minister. His decision to take to the press rather than holding discussions with the managers of the game, they say, is disrespectful. The Minister does not seem amused by those comments. Could there be genuine reasons for his actions or otherwise? There is always a smart way of managing everything methinks. The hawkish elements at the FA would continue to take the hard stance while the Minister who pushes through their budgets plays hard ball. Name-calling filled with innuendos is now the order of the day. Someone should tell these individuals to behave. This needless show of bravado is total nonsense to Ghanaians, if they care to know. I am glad the FA Vice-President George Afriyie has rubbished all this ownership talk by some elements at Ridge. If you want to own a business, go and look for your funds and stop depending on my taxpayer’s money. Nonsense.
CHANGING TIMES
How times have changed. Players of the Black Stars purchasing their own tickets to honour games? Yes it happened in Ghana. Don’t ask me why that did not happen in Brazil when the world was watching all the drama in our camp. Honestly, I cannot answer that and would not even attempt to. I gather they flew out for the Russian friendly with practically nothing in bonuses as they failed to win the Rwanda game. Now that is really patriotic. I am only not too sure if that is sustainable but one thing I do know is that if everyone thought the lads were only out there for the money, things are a lot different now. As intimated by Chairman Afriyie and Exco Member Wilfred Osei Kwaku, the FA would have to seriously look at other means of revenue generation. They can then afford to go on training camps in Kolsomoskaya and there would be no backlash by the taxpayer. The government should also send the right signals. We can afford to spend crazy sums on luxury vehicles in the city but can’t afford air fares. We blow money on GYEEDA, SADA and bus branding and say there is no money. Who are we kidding?
REBOUND
The sight of the Black Stars playing before such a sparse crowd just weeks away from a World Cup qualifier is worrying to say the least. The thought of Ghana not making it to Russia could have its own ripple effects. From brand awareness to the political bigotry that transpires in our part of the world, I am not too sure we would want to risk that. The argument can be made that the game against Rwanda was more of a friendly than a competitive one. That would be foolhardy to say the least. I am sure we have all seen friendly games of full houses. It’s not necessarily to do with the competitive nature of the game or otherwise. It’s more to do with how the national side sits with the populace. At this point, it is at rock bottom and the earlier we cut the crap and focus on arresting the situation, the better it is for all of us.
The national team is for all of us. Ideally, we all do celebrate when they win. The French were desperate to win the Euros to impact on the moody state of a population grappling with a truckload of issues especially on the economic front. We can gladly sit here and play the arrogant card if we want.
Source: Class 91.3FM
