Emmanuel QuaysonWe have just drawn nil with Cameroon and the fault must all be put on the Black Stars Coach, Akwesi Appiah. Many Ghanaians complain that we don’t appreciate our own and that we are always employing the services of foreign coaches to our National team to the neglect of our local ones. But if such stiff neck will be shown by a coach in selection of players for our national team then I guess it is better we rather go in for foreign coaches.
No doubt Black Stars played well and could have netted a goal or two had luck being on our side or should I say, if the coach had just listened to the heart of Ghanaians and the first gentleman of the land, his Excellency, Nana Addo Danquah Akuffo-Addo.
It was very obvious that although the feud between AKwesi Appiah and Asamoah Gyan had been resolved, he wasn’t ready to feature the player when we needed him most. Asamoah Gyan had done his part by obeying the president and rescinding his decision not to play for the National team again. You would expect AKwesi Appiah to equally feature him in the game so he could make an impact but he rather kept him at the bench and introduced him twenty minutes to close of the game.
When Asamoah Gyan came on, you could see he was a worthy customer and gave the defense of the Cameroonian side a run for their money. This is indeed a player that should be featured early to make an impact. Too much reliance has been placed on Dede Ayew and Jordan Ayew by Akwesi Appiah and I don’t know why?
Is it because of his relationship with their father, Abedi Ayew Pele or what? Although the Ayew brothers scored for us against Benin, it is no reason to bench Ghana’s number one striker ever, Asamoah Gyan.
Already people have started comparing the goals of Dede Ayew to Asamoah that he had scored more goals than Asamoah Gyan and Abedi Pele himself in any AFCON. I don’t think these things are good and it is not good for the psychological set up of two players on the same team.
Out of curiosity, I tried to find out if we had anything called General Captain, and I was told, none. This means Akwasi Appiah just wants to get rid of Asamoah Gyan’s captainship by hook or crook and rather giving it to Dede Ayew so he has forcefully created that position of General Captain when there is none in existence.
I also heard according to spiritual direction, he Akwasi Appiah had received from his prophet, he is to give the captaincy to Dede Ayew if will be able to lift the cup. I feel sad by this order because Prophets have lied to us too many times in Ghana over lots of issues much less football, so why should you place the destiny of a whole country based on prophesies when it is not only Christians we have in Ghana.
Prophesies don’t win games but preparation and psyche of your players so he should spare us that rant. We need quality players who have proven track records to lift the cup for Ghana.
In both games Ghana had played we have drawn goaless and if the variables don’t work properly on our side considering the other fixtures, we might end up coming home, dashing the hope of Ghanaians and confirming once again the irony of what Nkrumah said, “The Blackman is capable of managing his own affairs”. It is obvious the Black man (Akwasi Appiah) is not capable of managing the National team above his own interests and stubbornness.
At a point this sort of behaviour exhibited by coaches and even some of our players must stop in our beautiful game of football in Ghana. We are tired of the politics in our game and the toying of our hearts when our pounded fufu lay waste. Something must be done about Ghana football and something must be done fast. If the likes of Akwasi Appiah will not help us, they should quickly be booted out.
Do we miss Kwesi Nyantakyi?
Dada Joe
