Sports
Of Black Stars’ AFCON ticket, and football’s home violence
Sweat merchant of the Black Stars, CK Akonnor, deserves a bouquet of orchids for seeing Ghana to the Cameroon 2021 African Cup of Nations.
First, the Stars on Thursday held their own against South Africa away as they battled Bafana Bafana to a grueling 1-1 tie – a result that guaranteed Ghana a place in next year’s AFCON – with a game to spare.
And, this feat was achieved without some of the marquee names like skipper Andre Dede Ayew and brother Jordan as well as Thomas Partey, to mention but a few.
So, having already booked their ticket, many expected Akonnor to use many of the fringe players – who are mostly home-based, in their second game against Sao Tome and Principe played at the Accra Sports Stadium on Sunday.
Interestingly, we saw the Ayew brothers and Partey playing for the entire duration in the comfortable 3-1 home win.
Many Ghanaians would have loved to see Great Olympics’ star player and the league’s finest performer, Gladson Awako, go the whole hog, instead of the 45 minutes time he was allotted after the break.
One wonders what Akonnor wanted from Andre by keeping him in the game for 90 minutes. That was absolutely unnecessary!
In his last-ditch attempt to get his name emblazoned on the scoring sheet, the Ghana captain nearly sustained a nasty injury as a Sao Tome defender lunged his foot on the path of Andre who for several minutes, had to receive medical attention on the pitch.
All would have put the blame squarely at the feet of the coach if something bad happens to Andre, an important player he would need in the nation’s Qatar 2022 World Cup qualifiers in June.
Having already booked a place for Cameroon, it was a big moment for the coach to have given the locals the opportunity to prove their mettle!
Do not forget, these boys have been in camp preparing feverishly for South Africa as well as Sunday’s tie for about a month or so.
So, what is the essence for keeping them if you cannot give majority of these huge local talents the chance to demonstrate the stuff they are made of!
Anyway, Akonnor’s former boss Kwasi Appiah – who steamrolled the Cameroon 2021 campaign, also deserves some laudation for the qualification.
When you consider the fact that South Africa failed to qualify for the biennial football showpiece after their 2-0 loss to Sudan on enemy territory, you would understand why the Stars and their technical staff deserve some pat on their back for making it.
Importantly, we must start drawing the ‘master plan’ for the Cameroon tournament now if we really want to break the 39-year-old trophy drought.
It goes ugly again!
HOOLIGANISM at our stadia is increasingly taking a very terrifying dimension and only last Sunday, yet another nasty incident was recorded at a division one league game.
Indeed, what was supposed to be an enthralling afternoon of football turned bloodily ugly when supporters of the home side, Wamanafo Mighty Royals, turned their frustrations on match officials, hammering them to a pulp, for perceived biased officiating.
This was after their game against Sunyani-based Bofoakwa Tano had ended in a scoreless stalemate.
It was a pathetic sight as many media outlets reported that the officials were beaten in a manner that suggested they were notorious armed robbers.
The officials of the game were Niatire Suntuo Aziz, Suleman Mohammed, Yakubu Abdul Rahman and fourth referee Hasim Yakubu.
Predictably, the Ghana FA was expected to ban the venue, as it had done in similar situations; and they did just that. But it is not enough!
Perhaps, the FA must be told in plain language that their best in the fight against these hooligans is not enough to halt these needless incidents. It is not enough at all if we only end up preventing the offending clubs from using their home facility after they had inflicted carnage on human beings.
We must go beyond banning venues after such sordid acts – and like ‘blood-thirsty’ wolves after their prey, hunt for these iniquitous band of hooligans.
We have failed to deal ruthlessly with pitch hooliganism over the years and it would continue to bite us hard until we see these merciless miscreants arrested, prosecuted and gaoled to serve as deterrent to others.
Fortuitously, the FA has their cameramen recording these games and they must be able to produce video evidence from which such barbaric fans can be smoked out.
We have toyed with this issue for far too long and that is why such perpetrators get emboldened over the years and continue to break more bones season-in-season-out.
It is lamentably becoming a regular feature in our domestic leagues and it does not encourage potential sponsors to want to invest in the game. We better halt it now or just throw our hands up in despair.
PlainTalk with JOHN VIGAH
Sports
S-Inkoom Football Academy eyes Division Two promotion, European opportunities for young talents
Former Ghana Black Stars and FC Basel defender, Samuel Inkoom, has expressed confidence in the future of Ghanaian football as his S-Inkoom Football Academy continues to nurture young talents and create pathways to professional football both locally and abroad.
Speaking after his academy’s successful qualification for the Middle League, Inkoom praised the commitment and discipline of his players, describing their progress as a testament to hard work and dedication.
“First of all, I give thanks to God. These kids mean a lot to me. The most important thing is that they are learning and moving in the right direction,” he said.
According to him, the academy’s immediate target is to secure promotion to Division Two when the team competes in the Middle League this week.
“We are playing on Wednesday and we are hoping for the best. If they perform the same way they did today, they can qualify for Division Two,” he stated.
Inkoom revealed that the academy’s broader objective extends beyond winning matches, focusing instead on transforming the lives of talented young footballers, many of whom come from underprivileged backgrounds.
“Some of these boys come from families that struggle to provide even basic necessities. I tell them that money may not be there today, but if they remain focused, success will come tomorrow,” he explained.
The former Ghana international also disclosed that several academy players are attracting interest from clubs in Europe.
He said three players who recently underwent trials had been invited back to complete permanent transfers later this month, while four additional players are expected to travel abroad soon.
“When I see these opportunities for the boys, it makes me happy. It shows that we are doing something right,” he noted.
He appealed to corporate organisations and individuals to support the academy’s efforts in developing future national team players.
“If corporate bodies can come on board and support us, the door is open. This project is for Ghana. Together, we can bring out these talents and help build a stronger national team,” he said.
The academy currently has more than 80 players within its development system, providing a steady pipeline of talent to replace players who progress to opportunities abroad.
“We have about 81 players in our system. We are giving everyone a chance because football is about opportunities and timing. New talents are always emerging,” Inkoom added.
Captain Samuel Owusu also expressed confidence in the team’s readiness for the upcoming Division Two qualifiers, stating that the players had quickly shifted their focus after learning of their qualification.
“We were surprised at first, but now we are fully prepared mentally and physically for the challenge ahead,” he said.
Midfielder Elijah echoed the optimism within the camp, indicating that the squad was determined to prove itself in the next stage of competition.
The academy’s management further revealed plans to organise youth tournaments involving international scouts and representatives from leading European clubs, creating additional exposure opportunities for young Ghanaian footballers.
With preparations intensifying ahead of Wednesday’s crucial fixtures, the S-Inkoom Football Academy remains hopeful of achieving promotion while continuing its mission of producing the next generation of football stars for Ghana and beyond.
By Enoch Ntiamoah Siaw
The world over, the FA Cup is noted as a competition that produces winners whose pedigree can always be called into question.
This year in particular when many predicted an all-conquering Arsenal to win the English version of the championship, they were beaten by a struggling Manchester City side to win the trophy.
The season before, a dominant Manchester City side also surprisingly lost to Crystal Palace in a final many expected the east Manchester side to triumph.
The Ghana version of the competition is not spared of the surprises and uncertainties about the competition.
On Sunday at the University of Ghana Stadium, Nations FC walked a path that only defunct Ho Voradep treaded on 34 years ago when they suffered relegation in the 1992 edition but won the FA Cup competition.
Having faced the ignominy of relegation, Nations FC put up a strong fight to beat Dreams FC 5-4 on penalties to win the MTN FA Cup after drawing 1-1 in regulation and extra time.
Joseph Effah put Nations FC ahead in the 31st minute with a composed finish before Abdul Razak Salifu levelled for Dreams FC on the stroke of halftime.
Both sides had good chances in the second half and extra time, but all failed to find the back of the net again until the shoot-outs.
It was not just historic. It is the biggest silverware in their trophy cabinet. Though they would campaign from the lower tier of Ghana football, they would hoist Ghana’s flag in the CAF Confederations Cup competition in the next season.
It was a dramatic and memorable season, leaving huge responsibility on the tiny shoulders of Dr Kwame Kyei’s Nations FC.
The focus is now on the future for the winners considering the financial challenge that comes with participation for the continental championship others to arise regarding the acceptance of their home venue.
While commending the FA Cup committee and MTN Ghana, the headline sponsors, one hopes that corporate sectors consider that difficulty and rush to the aid of the club. Ayekoo, Nations FC.
By Andrew Nortey
