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Our standards have fallen!
A nation’s football strength and sturdiness is evidenced by its international performance – especially, at the club level.
At present, our club football is in comatose!
That, for 15 years, no Ghanaian club have won any continental fleece should be enough to portray the state of frustration and near hopelessness local fans find themselves.
Hearts clinched the CAF Champions League in 2000 – 21 years ago, topping up with a CAF Confederation Cup feat four years later. Great achievement, but that is all there is to it.
For Asante Kotoko, their last continental feat was in 1983 when they annexed the African Clubs Championship trophy (now CAF Champions League) by beating Al Ahly of Egypt.
Ever since, both Hearts and Kotoko have failed to re-enact their past glory after a panoply of disappointing attempts.
As far back as December 14, 1997, Obuasi Goldfields (now AshantiGold SC) found themselves in the CAF Champions League finale, losing narrowly to Morocco’s Raja Casablanca 5–4 on penalties at the Stade Mohamed V in Casablanca – the two legs having failed to produce a winner (1-1).
Three years later came the Hearts’ accomplishment.
But truth is that the Ghanaian game has slumped drastically over the years – a saturnine situation that compelled the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to slash the nation’s continental slot, and maybe, given the opportunity, CAF might even take back the solitary window accorded us.
The slump may have hit its apogee last week, probably showcasing why Ghanaian clubs should take a back seat for a while, do a very deep introspection and self-absorption before endeavouring to embark on another dead-duck adventure.
As you may have been aware, Hearts were flushed out of their African campaign in the most outrageous manner.
After taking a 2-0 lead in the play-off stage of the CAF Confederation Cup, Hearts dashed for the return leg encounter full of beans, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, against Algeria’s JS Saoura – only to be hammered 4-0 after a rather shambolic performance, to bow out 4-2 on aggregate.
A month earlier or so, Hearts were whitewashed 6-1 in the preliminary stage of the Champions League by WAC of Morocco, after winning the opening fixture in Accra 1-0.
Conceding 10 goals in two away games against North African oppositions is as discomforting as ego-battering.
For a side that once dominated Africa and proceeded into the campaign as Ghanaian champions, last Sunday’s exit was pure mortification.
It must be reiterated that the performance of our clubs in Africa has for some time now been nothing to write home about. It is, perhaps, the snowballing effect of low investment and poor player quality.
Most of our premier clubs, today, have no corporate sponsorship and with pitiable attendance at games (even during pre-Covid 19 era), clubs are compelled to sell off their marquee players to their foreign counterparts for survival.
So, how do such clubs hope to compete on the same platform with their counterparts at the continental stage? Not possible! You cannot be ready for any serious competition, if you behave in this manner.
Our clubs ought to accept the fact that the game has changed completely. It is now more capital intensive than before. The planning and organisation of the game, too, is more demanding than used to be the case. Interestingly, we expect to reap a different result after doing same thing over time. It does not work like that.
Certainly, our local game is in some sort of crisis and the Ghana Football Association (GFA) and its stakeholders may have to meet and find an efficacious panacea to reviving its fortunes.
By John Vigah
Ghana’s First Lady, Lordina Mahama, has made a generous donation to the country’s national female Under-17 and Under-20 teams – Black Maidens and Black Princesses- as they continue preparations for major international assignments.
The donation, made on Friday, May 22, was presented on behalf of the First Lady by the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, at the GFA Technical Centre in Prampram.
The gesture forms part of efforts to motivate and support Ghana’s young female footballers as they prepare to represent the country on the international stage.
The donation included essential food items and toiletries aimed at supporting the welfare and well-being of the players and technical teams.
The donation included cartons of Milo, T-rolls, soft drinks, toiletries, and a range of essential supplies aimed at supporting the welfare of the players, enhancing camp conditions, and easing preparations ahead of their respective assignments.
The Black Maidens are currently engaged in preparations for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup qualifiers and are set to take on Liberia women’s national under-17 football team in the second-leg encounter in Liberia this weekend.
Meanwhile, the Black Princesses have already secured qualification to the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup after overcoming Uganda in the qualifiers, extending Ghana’s remarkable record to eight consecutive appearances at the tournament.
The donation by the First Lady was expected to boost morale within both camps while reinforcing national support for the young female footballers who continue to make the country proud.
The prosecution has officially rested its case in The Republic v Solomon Asamoah & Another, the high-profile legal battle commonly referred to as the “Sky Train” case.
The Deputy Attorney General Justice Srem Sai announced the development, praising the state’s team of hard-working prosecutors for successfully anchoring the state’s evidence before the High Court.
The criminal trial centers on the former Chief Executive Officer and the former Board Chairman of the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF).
The duo stands accused of illegally authorizing and paying out US$2 million to a foreign company without obtaining board directives or other mandatory statutory approvals.
State investigators have confirmed that the disbursed millions cannot be found.
Following the closure of the prosecution’s case, the accused persons moved the court for an opportunity to file a submission of no case.
The presiding judge granted the application, ordering the defense to submit their arguments by June 8.
The outcome of the June 8 filings will decide the fate of the trial:
With this, if the judge finds the defense’s submission convincing, the accused will be acquitted and discharged however, If the judge dismisses the submission, the court will order the accused officials to take the stand and explain why they should not face prison sentences.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
